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SELECTION 
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OF 

SACRED POETRY, ^c. 



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A 1/9 ¥ ■ 

SELECTION 

OF 

SACRED POETRY, 

CONSISTING OF 

PSALMS AND HYMNS, 

FROM WATTS, DODDRIDGE, MERRICK, SCOTT, COWPEK^ 
BARBAULD, STEELE, AND OTHERS. 

^ COMPILED BY 

RALPH EDDOWES & JAMES TAYLOR, 

OP 

PHILADELPHIA. 



GOD is the King of all the earth; sing ye praises with understanding. 

Fs. xlvii. 7. 



THE SECOND EDITION. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
PUBLISHED BY THOMAS DOBSON AND SON, AT THE STONE 
HOUSE, NO. 41, SOUTH SECOND STREET. 
William Fry, Printer. 

1818. 



PREFACE 



TO THE SECOND EDITION. 

In this edition, the hymns under numbers 
271, 494, and 498 have been substituted for 
the hymns which were under these numbers 
in the first edition; and a very few slight ver- 
bal alterations have been made: in other re- 
spects both editions will be found alike. 

As the names of the authors, so far as they 
were known, are affixed to their respective 
compositions; it is proper to mention that 
alterations have been made in several of the 
psalms and hymns, as well by former compi- 
lers, from whom many of them were trans- 
cribed, as by the present compilers; who are 
therefore unable to designate all the pieces 
that have been altered. 

It was their endeavour to make such a se- 
lection as may be acceptable to Christian pro- 
fessors in general; and that this object has in 
some measure been attained, may be inferred 
from the demand for copies of the former 
edition by Christians of various denomina- 
tions, as well as from the circumstances 
which have now rendered a second impres- 
sion necessary. 



CONTENTS. 

Page 

Index of first lines, vi 
Part 1. Christian Worshifiy and the Lord^s 

JDayy ... 1 

Part II. Praise to Gody - - - 27 

Part III. The works of God celebrated^ 55 
Part IV. Perfections of God^ - -79 
Part V. Government and Providence of God^ 1 13 
Part VI. Thanksgiving, - - 148 

V^xt WW, Divine Rev elation, - - 168 

Part Vm. Christ and Christianity, 1S3 
Part IX. Penitential, - - - 235 

Part X. Devout affections and good resolu' 

tions, - - 248 

Part XI. Motives to a virtuous conduct, 274t 
Part XII. The Christian Character, - 292 
Part XIII. Jffiictions and Changes of Life, 343 
Part XIV. Life, Death, Judgment, and a 

Future State, - - 372 

Part XV. Particular Occasions, - - 4 1 5 

Part XVI. Domestic and Private Worshifi, 461 
Index of Subjects, - - - 511 
Table of Scriptures referred to in the hymns, 529 



INDEX 



OF FIRST LINES. 



Hymn a -Page 

371 Absurd and vain attempt to bind, 315 
^568, Affliction is a stormy deep, 479 
\^ 25 Again our weekly labours end, 19 

31 the Lord of life and light, 24 

^ 399 'Ahl why should this mistaken mind, 338 
^ 388 wretched souls, who strive in vain, 328 

H 319 All earthly charms however dear, 275 

k: 464 AH nature dies and lives again, 393 

362 > feels th' attractive pow*r, 307 

/^07 All-pow'rful, self-existent God, 91 

372 All-seeing God! tis thine to know, " 315 
r^7^ Almighty Father, gracious Lord, 152 
i-- 585 , of mankind, 493 
k:; 69 Almighty goodness, pow'r divine, 58 
Vf 71 Almighty maker, God! 60 
^00 Lord of all, 261 
;C 294 -Almighty refuge of my soul, 256 
^ 257 Amazing, beauteous change! 224 
^ 307 Amidst a world of hopes and fears, 266 
^ 103 . the heav'nly pow'rs sublime, 88 
)^ 38 Among the princes, earthly gods, 30 

162 And art thou with us, gracious Lord, 142 

jMl9, can my heart aspire so high, 355 

1^ 234 is the gospel peace and love? 203 

v^489 And will the great eternal God, 415 

^314 th' eternal King, 272 

>^ 156 the Majesty of heav'n, 137 

^ 244 Angel, roll the rock away; 212 



X Index of First Lines. 



Hymn Page 

)( 308 Are not thy mercies sovereign Still, 267 

^ 49 Arise, ye people, clap the hand, 38 

^ 391 Assist us, Lord, thy name to praise, 331 

^ 121 Attend my soul the voice divine, 104 

i '2.77 with rev'rent awe, 242 

V ' 354 Author of good! we rest on the^; 302 
y 458 Awake, my drowsy soul, awake, 387 

y 181 Awake, my soul, awake my tongue, 161 

^ 392 lift up thine eyes^-' 331 

t^S76 rouse ev'ry pow'r, 318 

V 403 stretch ev'ry nerve, ^ 341 
y 40 1 Awake, our souls, away our fears, 340 
\/ 456 Awake, yc saints, and raise your eyes, 386 
j( 35 to praise your King, 28 
tyr 330 A wounded conscience, what a foe! 283 

i 230 Be ev'ry vale exalted high, 200 

64 thou exalted, O my God! 53 

V* 45 Before Jehovah's awful throne, 35 

60 Begin, my soul, th' exalted lay, 48 

54 the lofty strain, 42 

V. 225 Behold, he comes! your leader comes, 197 

V^240 th* amazing sight, 209 

% 198 that wise, that perfect law, 177 

v^573 Behold the gloomy vale, 483 

215 grace appears, 189 

^188 lofty sky, 168 

y 206 morning sun, 183 

45 1 path that mortals tread, 382 

\r 228 prince of peace, 199 

1^ 237 Behold, where in a mortal form, 205 

^ 340 Beset with snares on ev'ry hand, 290 

404 Beyond the bounds of time and space, 342 

1 5 9 limits of the sky, 1 39 
212 Bless'd are the souls that hear and know, 1 87 

479 be the everlasting God, 405 



Index of First Lines. xi 

Hymn Page 

273 Bless'd Instructor! from thy ways, 239 V 

500 Bless'd is the man whose heart is kind, 424 

163 nation where the Lord, 142 

>179 Bless, O my soul, the living God, 159 V 

*200 Bright Source of intellectual rays, 178 

92 Can creatures to perfection find, 79 ^ 

59 Celestial worlds, your Maker's name, 47 v 
578 Children in years and knowledge young, 487 

243 Christ the Lord is ris'n to day, 2 1 1 

247 Christians! dismiss your fear, 215 )C 

260 Come hither, all ye weary souls! 227 X 

368 let us search our ways and try, 312 v 

10 pay the worship God requires, 9 X 

^61 said Jesus' sacred voice, 238 ^ 

I 41 sound his praise abroad, 32 ^/■ 

326 ye who love the Lord, 279 ,^ 

558 Consider all my sorrows. Lord, 471 i/^ 

389 Courage, my soul! while God is near, 329 

365 Daughters of pity, tune the lay; 310 ^ 

555 Diseases are thy servants. Lord, 469 X 

287 Enough of life's vain scene I've trod, 250 

343 Eternal and immortal King, 293 ^ 

96 Eternal God, almighty Cause, 82 ^ 

460 how frail is man, 389 

524 our humbled souls, 444 

34 Eternal Pow'r, whose high abode, 27 V 

584 Sire, enthron'd on high, 492 

77 Eternal Source of ev'ry joy! 65 ^ 

295 of joys divine! 257 

305 of life and light, 265 ^ 

20 of life and thought! 16 v 

216 Exulting, rejoicing, hail the happy 

morning, 19jQ 

"398 Faith adds new charms to earthly bliss, 337 v^^ 



xii Index of First Lines* 



Hymn Page 

409 Father divine! before thy view, 347 

238 the Saviour cried, 207 

^ 552 thy piercing eye, 466 

298 Father of all, eternal Mind! 259 

>. 462 my soul defend, 391 

112 omniscient Mind! 96 

><. 264 Father of Jesus Christ, my Lord, 231 

148 lights! we sing thy name, 129 

^ 545 men! thy care we bless, 461 

>( 405 mercies! God of love! 343 

V^193 mercies! in thy word, 173 

V/^ 12 our feeble race, 10 

^ 15 Far from mortal cares retreating, 12 

1/ 48 1 these narrow scenes of night, 407 

1./1554 the world, O Lord! I flee, 468 

^ 36 1 thy servants, God of grace, 307 

y 205 Far hence each superstition vain, 182 

X 556 Firm was my health, my day was bright, 469 

y 185 For ever blessed be the Lord, 165 

324 Forsake, my soul, the tents of sin; 278 

\r 46 From all that dwell below the skies, 36 
V^488 north and south, from east and west,4 1 3 

^ i^498 the table now retiring, 423 
480 this world's joys and senseless 

mirth, 406 

183 Give thanks to God most high, 163 

182 to our God immortal praise, 162 

99 to the Lord, ye sons of fame, 85 

;J^i 48 Glory be to God on high— hallelujah! 37 

218 to God on high be giv*n, 191 

504 to our heav'nly King, 427 

93 God is a King of pow'r unknown, 80 

100 name my soul adores, 86 

13 spirit, just and wise, 1 1 

158 God is the refuge of his saints, 139 



Index of First Lines. xiii 

Hymn Page 

140 God moves in a mysterious way, 122 

290 my supporter and my hope, 253 

453 God of eternity! from thee, 383 

271 mercy! God of love! 237 

583 my childhood and my youth, 491 

408 my life, thro' all its days, 346 

235 my mercy and my praise, 204 

284 my strength! to thee I cry; 248 

506 our lives, thy constant care, 429 

67 our lives, whose bounteous care, 56 

597 the morning! at whose voice, 502 

589 the seas! thy thund'ring voice, 496 
296 God, our kind Master, merciful as just, 258 

534 to correct a guilty world, 453 

301 who is just and kind, 262 

83 Good is the Lord, the heav'nly King, 71 

2 Great Father of mankind, 2 

88 first of beings! mighty Lord, 75 

442 Former of this various frame! 374 

, 87 Great God, at whose all-pow'rful call, 74 

134 how infinite art thou! 116 

1 30 how vast is thine abode! 1 1 3 

208 how well thy truths agree! 185 

270 if nature weak and frail, 237 

16 indulge my humble claim, 13 

95 in vain man's narrow view, 81 

465 I own thy sentence just, 394 

595 my early vows to thee, 501 

254 of grace, arise and shine, 221 
190 the heav'ns' well-ordered 

frame, 170 

350 thine attributes divine, 299 

170 to thee my grateful tongue, 150 

510 we sing that mighty hand, 433 

547 where'er we pitch our tent, 462 
b 



xiv 



Index of First Lines* 



Hymn Page^ 

147 Great God, while nature speaks thy 

praise, 128 
370 whose all-pervading eye, "^ 314 

253 whose universal sway, 220 

18 Great King of kings, eternal God, 15 
353 Lord of earth and seas and skies, 301 

413 Ruler of all nature's frame, 35a 

536 Ruler of the earth and skies, 455 

358 Source of all that we enjoy, SOS 

171 Source of life I our souls confess, 151 

490 Greatest of beings, Source of good, 416 

55 of life, 4S 

146 of life, 127 

^^ 73 HaiU great Creator, wise and good! 61 
32 happy morn I whose early ray, 24 

366 source of pleasures ever new! 311 
2 10 the God of our salvation, 186 

579 Happy is he whose early years, 488 
375 the man whose cautious steps, 317 

400 the man whose wishes climb, 339 

4 the men whom strength divine, 4 

396 Hark! for the great Creator speaks, 335 
512 from the tombs an awful sound, 434 

222 the glad sound, the Saviour comes, 194 

346 Hast thou not heard, hast thou not 

known, 295 
241 He dies, the friend of sinners dies, 210 
256 Hear what God the Lord hath spoken, 223 
X 469 Heav'n has confirm'd the great decree, 396 
'129 High in the heav'ns, eternal God! 1 1 1 

42 Holy, holy, holy, Lord! 33 
246 Hosanna! let us join to sing, 214 
592 with a clieerful sound, 498 



Index of First Lines, 



XV 



Hymn , Page 

505 House of our God, with cheerful an- 
thems ling, 428 
588 How are thy servants bless'd, O Lord, 495 
213 beauteous are their feet, 188 
542 How blest is he whose tranquil mind, 459 
333 the man, how more than blest, 285 
549 the sacred tie that binds, 464 
226 thy creature is, O God, 197 

7 How did my heart rejoice to hear, 7 

377 glorious, Lord, art thou! 319 

420 gracious and how wise, 355 

581 happy is the man who hears, 49o 
426 long shall dreams of creature bliss, 360 

6 pleas'd and bless'd was I, 6 

496 rich are thy provisions, Lord, 421 

435 rich thy favours, God of gi'acel 367 
197 shall the young secure their hearts, 176 

452 still and peaceful is the grave! 382 

449 swift the torrent rolls, 380 

428 How vain are all things here below! 362 

430 a thought is bliss below! 363 

382 is grandeur's purple pride! 323 

172 How well our great Preserver knows, 152 

47 I am the first, and I the last, 36 

491 I come, the great Redeemer cries, 417 

559 I love the Lord, he heard my cries, 472 

207 volumes of thy word, 184 

236 I read my duty in the word, 205 

347 1 to my Qod my ways commit, 296 
297 If, friendless, in the vale of tears I stray, 258 

385 solid happiness we prize, 325 

33 I'll bless Jehovah's glorious name, 25 

211 Immortal God! on thee we call, 186 

485 Imperfect creatures of a day,. 410 



xvi 



Index of First Lines. 



Hymn Page 

204 Imposture shrinks from light, / 181 

557 In devious paths awhile I trod, 470 

176 glad amazement, Lord, I stand, 156 

580 the soft season of thy youth, ' 489 

414 thy rebukes, all-gracious God, 351 

322 In vain, alas! from shore to shore, 277 
425 my roving thoughts would find, 359 

529 opposing nations rage, 448 

567 while dark affliction spreads, 478 
603 Indulgent God, whose bounteous care, 507 

374 with pitying eye, 3 1 7 

5 Inquire, ye pilgrims, for the way 5 

605 Interval of grateful shade, 508 

522 Is there no kind, no lenient art, 443 

56 Jehovah! 'tis a glorious word! 44 

495 Jesus invites his saints, 420 

224 Joy to the world, the Lord is come! 196 

36 Let all the earth their voices raise, 28 

577 children hear the mighty deeds, 487 

525 coward guilt with pallid fear, 445 

58 Let ev'ry creature join, 46 

262 mortal ear attend, 229 

120 tongue thy goodness speak, 103 

289 Let heathens to their idols haste, 252 

66 heav'n arise, let earth appear, 55 

523 our dejected hearts revive, 443 
373 party names no more,. 316 

50 songs of praise from all below, 38 

311 sorrow. Lord, my bosom fill, 269 

132 the whole race of creatures lie, 1 15 

75 us with a joyful mind, 63 

517 Life is a span, a fleeting hour, 438 

443 like a vain amusement, flies; 375 



Index of First Lines, xvii 

Hynm ^ ^ ^ Page 

74 Lift your voice, and joyful sing, 62 

508 Like shadows gliding o'er the plain, 431 

267 Lo! he comes from heav'n descending, 233 

342 Lo! what a glorious corner-stone, 210 

548 pleasing sight, 463 

128 Long as I live, I'll bless thy name, 1 10 

274 have I sat beneath the sound, 240 

. 72 Look round, O man! survey this globe, 60 

^-541 Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing; 458 

V 195 I have made thy word my choice, 175 

411 in this wretched vale of tears, 349 

596 Lord of my life! O may thy praise, 501 

\r 24 the sabbath! hear our vows, 18 

V- 3 the worlds above, 3 

63 the world's majestic frame! 52 

115 Lord, thou art good! all nature shows, 98 
C'llO hast search'd and seen me 

thro% 94 

600 wilt hear me when I pray, 505 
9 Lord, 'tis a pleasant thing to stand, 8 

^259 Lord, we adore thy boundless grace, 227 

^.^ 447 wondrous name, 378 

316 Lord, we have wander'd from thy way, 273 

601 Lord, when I count thy mercies o'er, 505 

357 my thoughts delighted rove, 304 { 

250 Maker, and sov'reign Lord, 217 

. 252 Mark the soft-falling snow, 218 

379 when tempestuous winds arise, 321 

427 Man has a soul of vast desires, 361 

526 May God his fav'ring ear incline, 446 

576 Mercy, judgment, now my tongue, 486 

321 Mere human pow'rs shall fast decay, 276 



514 Must friends and kindred droop and die, 436 
463 My faith and hope in God are strong, 392 
b 2 



xviii Index of First Lines* 



Hjnnn Page 

593 My God, how endiess is thy love! 499 

582 My God, my everlasting hope, 490 

352 Father, cheering name, 300 

436 hope, if thou art mine, 368 
127 King, thy various praise, 109 

65 King, to thee Til raise, 54 

288 portion, and my love, 251 

553 My God, permit me not to be, 467 

338 the steps of pious men, 289 

178 thy boundless love I praise, 158 

560 thy service well dem^inds, 472 

292 'tis to thy mercy-seat, 254 

437 to thee my soul aspires, 349 
177 what blessings round me shone, 1 57 
432 whose all-pervading eye, 365 
1 1 1 My heart and all my ways, O God, 95 
509 helper God! I bless his name, 432 
168 Maker and my King, 148 
126 never-ceasing songs shall show, 109 
342 My soul, before thy Maker bow, 292 
310 forsakes her vain delight, 269 
407 shall praise thee, O my God, 345 
513 My thoughts that oft ascend the skies, 435 
265 waken'd soul, extend thy wings, 231 

421 Naked as from the earth we came, 356 

467 No, rU repine at death no more, 395 

320 Not by the terrors of a slave, 276 

161 from relentless fate's dark womb, 141 

487 to the terrors of the Lord, 412 

341 Now let a true ambition rise, 291 
537 our songs address the God of 

peace, 456 

395 our voices join, 334 



Index of First Lines. xix 

Hymn Page 

125 Now to the Lord a joyful song, 108 

561 thy heav'nly Father's praise, 473 

:;''180 O bless the Lord, my soull 160 

^283 O blessed souls are they, 247 
^ 39 O come, all ye sons of Adam, and raise, 31 

^ 531 behold a scene of dread, 450 

61 O for a hymn of universal praise, ^9 

43 shout of sacred joy, 34 

540 plenitude of grace, 458 

299 O God of Jacob, by whose hand, 260 

363 my Saviour and my King, 308 
323 O happiness, thou pleasing dreaml 277 

7591 O hear me. Lord! to thee I call, 497 

214 O how delightful is the road, 189 

202 I love thy holy law, 180 

349 my fears the dangers move, 298 

^ 175 shall words, with equal warmth, 155 

68 O Lord, how excellent thy namel 5 7 

355 my best desires fulfil, 303 

^ J49 our heav'nly King, 130 
52 O praise ye the Lord, prepare a new song 40 

f - 367 sweeter than the fragrant flow'r, 3 1 2 

^ 468 tell to all whom earth sustains, 396 

302 that the Lord would guide my ways, 263 

309 that thy statutes ev'ry hour, 268 

586 the abundance of thy house, 493 

- 278 O thou the wretched's sure retreat, 243 

? 272 viho hear'st when sinners cry, 238 
380 whose scales the mountains 

weigh, 322 

V 275 whose tender mercy hears, 241 

/ 571 unknown, almighty Cause, 481 

M 378 O, 'tis a lovely thing to see, 320 

364 O ye who seek Jehovah's face, 309 



XX 



Index of First Lines. 



Hymn Page 

> 258 O Zion, tune thy voice, 225 

V 575 Of justice and of truth I sing, 485 

594 On thee each morning, O my God, 500 
483 On wings of faith, mount up my soul, 

and rise, 409 

402 love the christian flies, 340 

393 Our country is Immanuel's ground, ' 332 

441 God, our help in ages past, 373 

445 life is but an idle play, 376 

248 Lord is risen from the dead, 2 1 5 
94 pow'rs, great Godl are too confin'd, 81 
9 1 reason stretches all its wings, 79 

119 souls with pleasing wonder trace, 102 

369 Parent of all, Omnipotent, 313 

118 good, thy works of might, 101 

416 Patience, O *tis agrace divine! 353 

417 Peace, my complaining, doubting heart! 353 
538 the welcome sound proclaim, 456 
194 Perfection! *tis an empty name, 174 
269 Perpetual Source of light and grace, 236 
499 Pity the nations, O our God, 423 
348 Praise, everlasting praise be paid, 297 
406 to God, immortal praise, 344 

3;3f 53 to thee, thou great Creator, 41 

^' 535 to the Lord who bows his ear, 454 

124 to the Lord of boundless might, 107 

131 Praise ye the Lord, *tis good to raise, 114 

2 1 let praise employ, 1 7 

221 Prepare, th' appointed herald cried, 193 

424 Providence, profusely kind, 358 

\ 78 Rejoice! the Lord is King! 66 

^ 89 ye righteous, in the Lord, 76 

249 y© shining worlds on high, ' 216 



Index of First Lines, 



XXi 



Hymn Page 

511 Remark, my soul, the narrow bounds; 433 

383 Return, my roving heart, return, 324 

. 569 O God of love, return, 480 
[ 106 Rise, rise, my soul, and leave the ground, 90 

^231 Salvation is for ever nigh, 201 

' 312 Searcher of hearts! before thy face, 270 

604 See the bright monarch of the day, 507 

503 kind shepherd, Jesus, stands, 426 

^90 Shall I forsake that heav'nly Friend, 330 

Sir Shine forth, eternal Source of light! 274 

551 on our souls eternal God! 466 

438 Should famine o'er the mourning field, 369 

k 37 Sing to the Lord a joyful song, 29 

40 Jehovah's name, 32 

i 8 1 let praise inspire, 69 

344 who loud proclaims, 294 

" 223 ye distant lands, 195 

^394 Sing, ye redeemed of the Lord, 333 

" 98 sons of might, O sing, 84 

26 Sleep, sleep to day, tormenting cares, 20 

386 So let our lips and lives express, 327 

328 Soft are the fruitful show'rs that bring, 281 

90 Songs of immortal praise belong, 77 

229 Sons of men, behold him far, 200 

543 Soon will our fleeting hours be past, 459 

450 Sovereign of life! before thine eye, 381 

562 I own thy hand, 474 

473 Spring up, my soul, with ardent flight, 400 

598 Siill do the wheels of time revolve, 503 

533 to the mighty Lord of hosts, 452 

19 Sweet are the praises of the Lord, 16 

279 Sweet is the friendly voice that speaks, 244 

122 mem'ry of thy grace, 105 



xxii Index of First Lines. 



Hymn ^ Page 

28 Sweet is the work, my God, my King, 2 1 

454 Swift glide the hours of life away, 384 

304 Teach me, O teach me, Lord! thy way, 264 

444 the measure of my days, 375 

335 Th' Almighty reigns exalted high, 286 

104 stoops to view the skies, 89 

539 Thanks for mercies past, receive; 457" 

448 That awful hour will soon appear, 379 

502 man is bless'd who stands in awe, 425 

266 solemn day will soon arrive, 232 

439 The darkened sky, how thick it lowers! 370 

145 earth and all the heav'nly frame, 126 

431 evils that beset our path, 364 

164 gifts indulgent heav*n bestows, 143 
62 glorious armies of the sky, 5 1 

1 14 God Jehovah reigns, 9S 
471 The God of glory sends his summons 

forth, 398 

1 65 heaven is kind and just, 1 44» 
520 love will sure indulge, 441 
433 The great Creator, wise and good, 366 
142 heart, dejected, sighs to know, 124 
189 heav'ns declare thy glory. Lord; 169 
412 The Lord can clear the darkest skies, 350 
276 how kind are all his ways, 241 
410 how tender is his love, 348 

1 in Zion plac'd his name, 1 

155 my pasture shall prepare, 136 

153 my Shepherd is, 134 

8 The Lord of glory is my light, 7 

1 36 reigns, he reigns on 

high, 118 

137 reigns supremely 

great, 119 



Index of First Lines. xxiii 



Hyran Page 

470 The Lord, th' Almighty Monarch, spake, 397 
472 the Judge, his churches warns, 399 

133 the Sov'reign King, 116 

'332 The man is ever blest, 284 
602 of humble, upright heart, 506 

387 whose firm and equal mind, 327 

337 whose heart from vice is clear, 288 

85 The morn and eve thy praise resound, 72 
V459 morning flow'rs display their sweets,388 

123 praises of my God and King, 106 

217 prince of peace is come, 190 

351 righteous Lord, supremely great, 299 

86 rising morn, the closing day, 73 
( 80 rolling year, almighty Lord; 68 

263 Saviour calls, let ev'ry ear, 230 

^ 70 spacious firmament on high, 59 

192 starry heav'ns thy rule obey, 172 

' 455 swift-declining day, 385 

196 volume of my Father's grace, 175 

187 weary traveller, lost in night, 166 

30 work, O Lord! is thine, 23 

( 143 world of nature. Lord, is thine, 125 

446 Thee we adore, Eternal Name, 377 

336 There is a glorious world on high, 287 

482 land of pure delight, 408 

141 righteous God, 123 

157 They that have made their refuge God, 138 

282 Thine eyes in me the sheep behold, 246 

306 influence, mighty God! is felt, 266 

160 is the throne, beneath thy reign, 140 
109 This earthly globe, the creature of a day, 93 

'493 feast was Jesus' high behest, 419 

29 This is the day the Lord hath made, 22 

27 of life, 2 1 

515 Tho* nature's voice you must obey, 437 



XXIV 



Index of First Lines. 



Hymn Page 

V' 560 Tho' perfect eloquence inspired, 306 
^/ 484 Those happy realms of joy and peace, 410 
313 Thou art my portion, O my God! 271 
108 didst, O mighty God! exist, 92 

280 Lord, in mercy wilt regard, 245 

76 who sitt'st enthron'd above, 64 

501 Thrice happy man who fears the Lord, 424 
550 men who, born from 

heav'n, 465 * 

167 Thro' all the changing scenes of life, 146 
14 Th' uplifted eye and bended knee, 12 
599 Thus far the Lord hath led me on, 504 
359 saith the first, the great command, 305 

251 the eternal Father spake, 218 

184 Thy goodness, Lord, our souls confess, 164 
532 gracious favour. Lord, display, 451 
345 judgments, Lord, are deep and high,295 
303 mercies fill the earth, O Lord! 264 
544 presence, everlasting God! 460 
1 50 wisdom, pow'r, and goodness, Lord! 1 3 1 
440 Time! what an empty vapour 'tis! 372 
397 'Tis by the faith of joys to come, 336 
82 thy strength the mountains stand, 70 

525 'Tis religion that can give, 279 
166 To calm the sorro>^s of the mind, 145 
199 To God, its source, my soul aspires; 177 
255 let fervent pray'rs arise, 222 

186 the only wise, 165 

/ 476 To heav'n, my longing soul! aspire, 403 
X 209 our Almighty Maker, God, 185 
.^ 587 To thee, great God! my knees I bend, 494 
; V 1 1 3 my God! my days are known; 97 

227 O God! we homage pay, 198 

V 219 To those who fear and trust the Lord, 192 
116 Triumphant, Lord! thy goodness reigns, 99 



Index of First Lines. 



XXV 



Hymn Page 

y 97 'Twas God who hurl'd the rolling spheres, 83 

/ 492 on that dreadful, doleful night, 418 

15 1 Up to the hills I lift mine eyes, 132 

Vt>5J Upward I lift mine eyes, 133 

144 Vast are thy works, almighty Lord! 125 

•^169 We bless the Lord, the just, the good, 149 

;^68 Weak and irresolute is man, 235 

^423 Weary of these low scenes of night, 358 

220 Welcome the hope of Israel's race, 192 

X 239 the hope of Isr'el's race, 207 

X %0\ What glory gilds the sacred page, 179 

:<203 heav'nly wisdom has bestow'd, 1^ I 

/ 565 mean these jealousies and fears, 477 

yl563 shall I render to the Lord, 475 

V^75 sinners value, I resign: 402 

tho' downy slumbers flee, 509 

\,/^'233 works of wisdom, pow'r, and love, 202 

^570 When all the pow'rs of nature fail, 480 

^7174 thy mercies, O my God! 154 

t 23 When, as returns this solemn day, 18 

V 516 blooming youth is snatched away, 438 
y 566 darkness long has veilM my mind, 477 

466 death appears before my sight, 394 
327 gloomy thoughts and boding fears, 280 

434 I can read my title clear, 367 

Y' 494 in obedience to their Lord, 419 

[ 429 in the light of things divine, 362 

y 191 Isr'el through the desert pass'd, 171 

y 507 Isr'el's tribes on Gibeon pour'd, 430 

/ 564 o'er the trodden paths of life, 476 

\29\ overwhelmed with grief, 254 

^574 rising from the bed of death, 484 

c 



xxvi 



Index of First Lines. 



Hymn Page 

572 When sickness shakes the languid 

frame, 482 
33 1 storms hang o*er the christian's 

head, 283 

356 Where love and all the graces reign, 304 
546 Where'er the Lord shall build my house, 462 
38 1 Wherefore should man, frail child oioX^r^i^ 

1 1 Wherewith shall I approach the Lord, 9 

84 While beauty clothes the fertile vale, 72 

154 God my Father's near, 135 

329 some in folly's pleasures roll, 282 

530 sounds of war are heard around, 449 

285 thee I seek, protecting Pow'ri 248 

286 thoughtless sinners choose, 249 
519 to the grave our friends are 

borne, 440 

281 with remorse and woe opprest, 245 

139 Who, gracious Father! can complain, 121 

334 shall ascend thy heav'nly place, 286 

527 shall not tremble, mighty God! 447 

521 Why do we mourn departing friends, 442 

415 does the will of heav'n ordain, 352 

418 is my heart with grief opprest? 354 

384 should I thus perplex, 325 

474 should this earth delight us so? 401 

293 sinks my weak desponding mind, 255 

339 will you waste, on trifling cares, 289 

232 With ecstacy of joy, 201 

138 eye impartial, heav'n's high King, 120 

422 God my friend, the radiant sun, 357 
315 my whole heart I've sought thy 

face, 272 

44 one consent let all the earth, 34 

17 sacred joy we lift our eyes, 14 

79 songs and honours sounding loud> 67 



Index of First Lines* 



xxvii 



Hymn Page 

478 With transport. Lord! we view the page, 404 

590 Would you behold the works of God, 497 

497 Ye foU'wers of the prince of peace, 422 

318 glitt'ring toys of earth! adieu, 275 

486 golden lamps of heav'n! farewell, 411 

477 Ye humble souls, complain no more, 403 

245 that seek the Lord, 213 
518 Ye mourning saints, whose streaming 

tears, 439 

461 nations, hear! ye sons of earth, 390 

528 righteous! in your King rejoice, 448 

102 Ye servants of th* almighty King, 87 

457 the Lord, 387 

101 Ye sons of men, in sacred lays, 86 

117 with joy record, 100 

135 Ye subjects of the Lord, proclaim, 1 17 

22 that obey th' immortal King, 17 

57 tribes of Adam, join, 45 

"1105 weak inhabitants of clay, 89 

5 1 works of God, on him alone, 39 



A 



SELECTION 



OF 



SACRED POETRY, ^c. 
PART L 



Christian Worships and the Lord^s Day. 



Common Metre. Watts, 

The privilege of public worship. 
1 ^THHE Lord in Zion placM his name, 



JL His ark was settled there; 
To Zion the whole nation came 
To worship thrice a year. 

2 But we have na such lengths to go, 

Nor wander far abroad: 
Where'er thy saints assemble now. 
There is a house for God. 

3 Here, mighty God! accept our vows, 

Here let thy praise be spread; 
Bltss the provisions of thy house. 
And fill thy poor with bread. 



1. 




A 



2 



Christian Worships and 



4 Here let the Son of David reign; 
Let God's anointed shine; 
Justice and truth his court maintain, 
With love and pow'r divine. 

2. 

Proper Metre. Doddridge. 
The house of prayer. 

1 RE AT Father of mankind! 
vJ We bless that wondrous grace, 
Which could for Gentiles find 
Within thy courts a place. 

How kind the care 
Our God displays 
For us to raise 
A house of prayV! 

2 To thee ourselves we join, 
And love thy sacred name; 
No more our own but thine, 
We triumph in thy claim. 

Our Father-King, 
Thy cov'nant-grace 
Our souls embrace. 
Thy titles sing. 

3 Here, in thy house, we feast 
On dainties all divine; 

And while such sweets we taste, 
With joy our faces shine; 



the Lord^s Day. 



3 



Incense shall rise 
From flames of love, 
And God approve 
The sacrifice. 

4 May all the nations throng- 
To worship in thy house; 
And thou attend the song, 
And smile upon their vows; 

Indulgent still, 

Till earth conspire, 

To join the choir. 

On Zion's hill. 

3. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 

Delight in public worship* 

1 T ORD of the worlds above, 
.1 J How pleasant and how fair, 
The dwellings of thy love, 
Thine earthly temples arc! 

To thine abode 
My heart aspires, 
With warm desires 
To see my God. 

2 O happy souls that pray 
Where GoD appoints to hear! 
O happy men that pay 
Their constant service there! 

They praise thee still; 
And happy they 
Who love the v/ay 
To Zion's hill. 



4 Christian Worships and 



3 They go from strength to strength. 
Through this dark vale of tears, 
Till each arrives at length, 
Till each in heav'n appears: 

O glorious seat. 

When God our King 

Shall thither bring 

Our willing feet! 

4. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The pleasure and advantage of divine worship. 

1 TT APPY the men, whom strength divine 
JlX With ardent love and zeal inspires! 
Whose steps to thy blest way incline, 
With willing hearts and warm desires. 

2 Still they pursue the painful road; 
Increasing strength surmounts their fear; 
Till all at length, before their God, 

In Zion's glorious courts appear. 

3 One day within thy sacred gate 
Affords more real joy to me, 
Than thousands in the tents of state; 
The meanest place is bliss with thee. 

4 God is a sun; our brightest day 
From his reviving presence flows: 
God is a shield, through all the way. 
To guard us froj|i surrounding foes. 

5 He pours his kindest blessings down, 
Profusely down, on souls sincere; 



the hordes Day. 



5 



And grace shall guide, and glory crown 
The happy favVites of his care. 

O Lord of hosts, thou God of grace! 
How blest, divinely blest, is he, 
Who trusts thy love, and seeks thy face, 
And fixes all his hopes on thee. 

5. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

Asking the way to Zion. 

INQUIRE, ye pilgrims, for the way 
That leads to Zion's hill; 
And thither set your steady face, 
With a determin'd will. 

Invite the strangers all around, 

Your pious march to join; 
And spread the sentiments you feel 

Of faith and love divine. 

Come, let us to his temple haste, 

And seek his favour there; 
Before his footstool humbly bow, 

And pour out fervent prayV. 

Come, let us join our souls to God, 

In everlasting bands; 
And seize the blessings he bestows 

With eager hearts and hands. 

Come, let us seal, without delay, 

The covWnt of his grace; 
Nor shall the years of distant life 

Its ^mory efface. 

A 2 



6 



Christia7i Worships and 



6 Thus may our rising offspring haste!* . 
To seek their fathers' God; 
Nor e'er forsake the happj? path, 
Their youthful feet have trod. 

6. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 
Going up to worship. 

1 TLTOW pleasM and blest was I, 
A X To hear the people cry, 

" Come, let us seek our God to-day!" 

Yes, with a cheerful zeal, 

We haste to Zion's hill. 
And there our vows and honours pay, 

2 Zion, thrice happy place! 
Adorn'd with wondrous grace. 

And walls of strength embrace thee round; 

In thee our tribes appear 

To pray, or praise, or hear 
The sacred gospel's joyful sound. 

3 May Peace attend thy gate, 
And Joy within thee wait. 

To bless the soul of ev'ry guest! 

The man that seeks thy peace. 

And wishes thine increase, 
A thousand blessings on him rest! 

4 My tongue repeats her vows, 
" Peace to this sacred house!" 

For there my friends and kindred dwellj 



the Lord^s Day* 



7 



And since my glorious God 
Makes thee his blest abode, 
My soul shall ever love thee well. 

7. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Attendance on divine worship. 

HOW did my heart rejoice to hear 
My friends devoutly say. 
In God's own house let us appear, 
And keep the solemn day. 

My soul shall pray for Zion still, 

While life or breath remains: * 

There my best friends, my kindred dwell, 
There God my saviour reigns. 

Peace be within this sacred place, 

And joy a constant guest! 
With holy gifts and heav'nly grace 

Be her attendants blest! 



V 8. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The church our delight and safety. 

1 npHE Lord of glory is my light, 

JL And my salvation too; 
God is my strength, nor will I fear 
What all my foes can do. 

2 One privilege my heart desires: 

O! grant me an abode, 



S Christian Worships and 

Among the churches of thy saints. 
The temples of my God. 

3 There shall I offer my requests, 

And see thy beauty still; 
Shall hear thy messages of love, 
And there inquire thy will. 

4 When troubles rise, and storms appear, 

There may his children hide; 
God has a strong pavilion, where 
He makes my soul abide. 

5 Now shall my head be lifted high 

Above my foes around, 
And songs of joy and victory 
Within thy temple sound. 

9. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

The church the garden of God. 

1 T ORD! 'tis a pleasant thing to stand 
X-J In gardens planted by thy hand; 
Let me within thy courts be seen. 
Like a young cedar, fresh and green. 

2 There grow thy saints in faith and love, 
Blest with thine influence from above; 
Not Lebanon, with all its trees. 
Yield such a comely sight as these. 

3 The plants of grace shall ever live; 
Nature decays, but grace must thrive; 
Time, that doth all things else impair, 
Still makes them flourish strong and fair 



the Lord^s Day. 



9 



4 Laden with fruits of age, they show 
The Lord is holy, just, and true: 
None ihat attend his courts shall find 
A God unfaithful or unkind. 



1 OME! pay the worship God requires, 

Inilam'd with pure and holy fires. 
When love celestial warnis the breast, 
Our homage, and our vows, are blest. 

2 When piety, and truth refin'd 
Possess the temple of the mind, 
With grateful flames the altars glow, 
And God will visit man below. 



1 THEREWITH shall I approach the 



V V Lord, 
A'id bow before his throne? 
Oh! huw procure his kind regard, 
And for m\ guilt atone? 

2 Shall altars flame, and victims bleed. 

And spicy fumes ascend? 
Will these my earnest wish succeed. 
And make my God my friend? 

3 O no, my soul! 'twere fruitless all; 

Such offerings are vain; 




11. 



Common Metre. Browne. 

The same subjects 




10 



Christian Worships and 



No fatllngs from the field or stall 
His favour can obtain. 

4 To men their rights I must allow, 

And proofs of kindness give; 
To God with humble revVence bow, 
And to his glory live, 

5 Hands that are clean, and hearts sincere 

He never will despise; 
And cheerful duty he'll prefer 
To costly sacrifice. 

12. 

Proper Metre. John Taylor. 

The acceptable offering, 

1 in ATHER of our feeble race! 
JL Wise, beneficent, and kind, 
Spread o'er nature's ample face. 
Flows thy goodness unconfin'd: 
Musing in the silent grove. 

Or the busy walks of men, 

Still we trace thy wondrous love. 

Claiming large returns again. 

2 Lord! what oflF'ring shall we bring, 
At thine altars when we bow? 
Hearts* the pure unsullied spring. 
Whence the kind affections flow; 
Soft compassion's feeling soul. 

By the melting eye exprest; 
Sympathy, at whose control. 
Sorrow leaves the wounded breast; 



the Lord^s Day. 

3 Willing hands to lead the blind, 
Bind the wounded, feed the poor; 
Love, embracing all our kind; 
Charity, with lib'ral store. 
Teach us, O thou heav'nly King! 
Thus to show our grateful mind, 
Thus th' accepted ofF'ring bring, 
Love to thee and all mankind. 

13. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Sincerity and hypocrisy. 

1 OD is a spirit, just and wise, 
Vjr He sees our inmost mind: 

In vain to heav'n we raise our cries, 
And leave our souls behind. 

2 Nothing but truth before his throne 

With honour can appear; 
The formal hypocrites are known 
Through the disguise they wear. 

3 Their lifted eye salutes the skies, 

Their bended knees, the ground; 
But God abhors the sacrifice, 
Where not the heart is found. 

4 Lord! search my thoughts, and try my 

ways. 

And make my soul sincere; 
Then may I stand before thy face, 
And find acceptance there. 



12 Christian Worships and 

^ 14. 

Long Metre. Scott. 
Dev^ion vain without virtue. 

1 T^H' uplifted eye, and bended knee, 

A Are but vain homage, Lord! to thee: 
In vain our lips thy praise prolong, 
The heart a stranger to the song, 

2 Can rites, and forms, and flaming zeal, 
The breaches of thy precepts heal? 

Or fasts and penance reconcile 
Thy justice, and obtain thy smile? 

3 The pure, the humble, contrite mind, 
Sincere, and to thy will resigned. 

To thee a nobler off'ring yields. 

Than Sheba's groves, or Sharon's fields. 

4 Love God and man — this great command 
Doth on eternal pillars stand: 
This did thine ancient prophets teach. 
This did the great Messiah preach. 

15. 

Proper Metre. John Taylor. 
Surrounding the mercy seat. 
i AR from mortal cares retreating, 
A Sordid hopes and fond desires. 
Here, our willing footsteps meeting, 
EvVy heart to heav'n aspires. 
From the Fount of glory beaming,^ 
Light celestial cheers our eyes; 
Mercy from above proclaiming 
Peace and pardon from the skies^ 



the LorcTs Day. 



2 Who may share this great salvation?- 
Ev'ry pure and humble mind; 
EvVy kindred, tongue and nation, 
From the dross of guilt refin'd: 
Blessings all around bestowing, 
God withholds his care from none; 
Grace and mercy ever flowing 
From the fountain of his throne. 

3 Ev'ry stain of guilt abhorring, 
Firm and bold in virtue's cause, 
Still thy providence adoring, 
Faithful subjects to thy laws, 
Lord! with favour still attend us. 
Bless us with thy wondrous love; 
Thou, our sun and shield, defend us: 
All our hope is from above. 



Long Metre. Watts. 
The lo've of God better than life. 
1 REAT God, indulge my humble 



Thou art my joy, and thou my rest: 
The glories that compose thy name, 
Stand all engaged to make me blest. 

^ While in thy house I now appear 
Among thy saints, and seek thy face; 
O may I see thy mercy here. 
And taste the blessings of thy grace! 

3 Not all by worldly men posaest, 
Nor all the joys our senses know, 



16. 




claim; 



B 



14 Christian Worships and 



Could make me so divinely blest, 
Or raise my cheerful passions so. 

4 My life itself, without thy love, 
No real pleasure could afford; 
'Twould but a tiresome burden prove, 
If I were banish'd from the Lord. 

5 Amidst the wakeful hours of night. 
When busy cares afflict my head, 

One thought of thee gives new delight, 
And adds refreshment to my bed. 

6 I'll lift my hands, I'll raise my voice. 
While I have breath to pray or praise; 
This work shall make my heart rejoice^ 
And fill the remnant of my days. 



vv To those bright realms above. 
That glorious temple in the skies, 
Where dwells eternal love. 

2 Before the awful throne we bow 

Of heav'n's almighty King: 
Here we present the solemn vow, 
And hymns of praise we sing. 

3 Thee we adore; and, Lord! to thee 

Our filial duty pay: 
Thy service, unconstrain'd and free, 
Conducts to endless day. 




The hordes Day* 15 



4 While in thy house of pray'r we kneel 

With trust and holy fear, 
Thy mercy and thy truth reveal, 
And lend a gracious ear. 

5 With fervour teach our hearts to pray, 

And tune our lips to sing; 
Nor from thy presence cast away 
The sacrifice we bring. 

18. 

Long Metre* Mrs. Steele. 

Humble Worship. 

1 RE AT King of kings, eternal GoD, 
vX Shall mortal creatures dare to raise 
Their songs to thy supreme abode, 
And join with angek in thy praise? 

% Man, O how far remov'd below! 
Wrapt in the shades of gloomy night; 
His brightest day can only show 
A few faint streaks of distant light. 

3 But see! The bright, the morning star 
Rising shall chase the shades away; 
His beams, resplendent from afar, 
Promise a sweet immortal day. 

4 To him our longing eyes we raise. 

Our guide to Thee, the Great Unknown; 
Through him, O may our humble praise 
Accepted rise before thy throne. 



16 



Christian Worships and 



19. 

Long Metre. A. H. 
Christian Worship. 

1 Q WEET are the praises of the Lord, 
O And pleasant 'tis his courts to view; 
To hear the precepts of that word 
Which Jesus taught and practised too. 

2 His true disciples may we prove, 
Unceasing his commands obey; 
By our obedience speak our love. 
And by our works, our faith display. 

3 By those pure rules which he has taught, 
Our course unerring may we steer! 

So life shall with content be fraught, 
And death itself be void of fear. 

20. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
The divine blessing implored. 

1 Xj^ TERNAL Source of life and thought! 
Jla Be all beneath thyself forgot; 
Whilst thee, great Parent-mind, we own, 
In prostrate homage round thy throne. 

2 O may we live before thy face, 
The willing subjects of thy grace; 
And thro' each path of duty move 
With filial awe, and filial love! 



the Lord's Day. 



17 



21. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Public praise. 

PRAISE ye the Lord; let praise em- 
ploy. 

In his own courts, your songs of joy: 
The spacious fi»-mament around 
Shall echo back the joyful sound. 

Recount his works in strains divine; 
His wondrous works how bright they shine! 
Praise him for his almighty deeds, 
Whose greatness all your praise exceeds. 

To praise awake your tuneful string, 
And to the solemn organ sing: 
Harmonious let the concert rise, 
And bear the rapture to the skies. 

Let all whom life and breath inspire. 
Attend and join the blissful choir: 
But chiefly you who know his word, 
Adore, and love, and praise the Lord. 

. 22. 

Common Metre. Watts, 
Daily and nightly devotion. 

YE that obey th' immortal King, 
Attend his holy place: 
Bow to the glories of his pow'r, 
And bless his wondrous grace. 

Lift up your hands by morning light, 
And send your souls on high: 
B 2 



18 



Christian Worships and 



Raise your admiring thoughts by night 
Above the starry sky. 

3 The God of Zion cheers our hearts 
With kind and quickening rays; 
The God that spread the heav'ns abroad, 
And rules the swelling seas. 

23. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 
The sacrifce of the heart. 

1 T 7^ 7 HEN, as returns this solemn day, 

V V Man comes to meet his maker, God, 
What rites, what honours shall he pay? 
How spread his sov'reign's praise abroad? 

2 From marble domes and gilded spires 
Shall curling clouds of incense rise? 
And gems, and gold, and garlands deck 
The costly pomp of sacrifice? 

3 Vain, sinful man! creation's Lord 
Thy golden off'rings well may spare: 
But give thy heart, and thou shalt find, 
Here dwells a God who heareth prayV. 

24. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
The eternal sabbath* 
1 T ORD of the sabbath! hear our vows, 
I A On this thy day, in this thy houses 
And own, as grateful sacrifice. 
The songs which from thy churches rise. 



The Lord^s Day. 



19 



2 Thine earthly sabbaths, Lord! we love; 
But there's a nobler rest above; 

Thy servants to that rest aspire, 
With ardent hope, and strong desire. 

3 There languor shall no more oppress; 
The heart shall feel no more distress; 
No groans shall mingle with the songs, 
That dwell upon immortal tongues. 

4 No gloomy cares shall there annoy; 
No conscious guilt disturb our joy; 
But ev'ry doubt and fear shall cease. 
And perfect love give perfect peace. 

5 When shall that glorious day begin. 
Beyond the reach of death or sin; 
Whose sun shall never more decline, 
But with unfading lustre shine! 

X- 25. 

Long Metre. Cappe's Selection, 
The Christian sabbath. 

1 \ GAIN our weekly labours end, 
JLlL And we the sabbath's call attend; 
Improve, my soul, the sacred rest. 
And learn for ever to be blest. 

2 This day may our devotions rise 
To heav'n a grateful sacrifice; 

May heav'n that peace divine bestow. 
Which none but they who feel it know! 

3 This holy calm within the breast. 
Prepares for that eternal rest 



20 Christian Worships and 



Which for the sons of God remains, 
The end of cares, and toils, and pains. 

4 In varied scenes, both old and new. 
With joy, great God! thy works we view; 
In praise recall thy mercies past. 

In hope thy future mercies taste. 

5 In holy duties, let the day, 
In holy pleasures, pass away: 

How sweet this sabbath thus to spend 
In hope of that which ne'er shall end! 

26. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 
The sabbath of the soul. 

1 O LEE P, sleep to-day, tormenting cares, 
O Of earth and folly born! 
Ye shall not dim the light that streams 

From this celestial morn. 

2 To-morrow will be time enough 

To feel your harsh control; 
Ye shall not violate, this day. 
The sabbath of my souL 

3 Sleep, sleep forever, guilty thoughts! 

Let fires of vengeance die; 
And, purg'd from sin, may I behold 
A Gob of purity! 



The Lord's Day. 21 



Common Metre. Cotton. 
A Lord's day hymn* 

1 nnmS is the day the Lord of life 

jL Ascended to the skies; 
My thoughts, pursue the lofty theme, 
And to the heaven arise. 

2 Let no vain cares divert my mind 

From this celestial road; 
Nor all the honours of the earth 
Detain my soul from God, 

3 Think of the splendors of that place, 

The joys that are on high; 
Nor meanly rest contented here. 
With worlds beneath the sky. 

4 Heav'n is the birth-place of the saints. 

To heav'n their souh ascend; 
Th' Almighty owns his favViie race. 
As Father and as Friend. 

5 O may these lovely titles prove 

My comfort and defe xe. 
When the sick couch shall be my lot, 
And death shall call me hence. 



28. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
A hymn for the Lord's day. 
WEET is the work, my God! my King! 
To praise thy name, give thanks andsing; 



22 Christian Worships and 



To show thy love by morning light, 
And talk of all thy truth at night. 

2 Sweet is the day of sacred rest; 

No mortal care shall seize my breast: 
My heart shall triumph in the Lord, 
And bless his works, and bless his word* 

3 And I shall share a glorious part, 
When grace hath well refin'd my heart. 
When doubts and fears no more remain, 
To break my inward peace again. 

4 Then shall I see, and hear, and know, 
All I desir'd or wishM below; 

And evVy powV find sweet employ 
In the eternal world of joy. 

29. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Hymn for the Lord's day* 

1 npms is the day the Lord hath made; 

X He calls the hours his own: 
Let heav'n rejoice, let earth be glad. 
And praise surround the throne. 

2 To-day arose our glorious head, 

And death's dread empire fell; 
To-day the saints his triumph spread. 
And all its wonders tell. 

3 Hosanna! the anointed kin^ 

Ascends his destin'd throne; 
To God your grateful homage bring, 
And his Messiah own. 



The Lord's Day. 23 



4 Sent by his Father's love, he came 

To bless our sinful race: 
Let all adore the Father's name, 
And celebrate his grace. 

5 Adore him in the highest strains 

The church on earth can raise: 
The highest heav'ns in which he reigns, 
Shall give him nobler praise. 

30. 

Short Metre. Watts. 
The same subject. 

1 nnHE work, O Lord! ia. thine, 

A And wondrous in our eyes; 
This day proclaims it all divine-— 
This day did Jesus rise. 

2 We hail the glorious day, 
With thankful heart and voice, 

Which chas'd each painful doubt away. 
And bade the church rejoice. 

3 Since he hath left the grave. 
His promises are true; 

And each exalted hope he gave, 
Confirmed of God we view. 

4 O come the happy hour. 
When all the earth shall own 

Thy Son, O God! declared with powVj 
And worship at thy throne. 
^ That we possess thy word 
Which all this grace displays. 



24 Christian Worships and 



Accept, thou Father of our Lord^ 
Our sacrifice of praise. 

V31. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 
The Lord's day morning. 

1 A GAIN the Lord of life and light 
X\ Awakes the kindling ray; 
Unseals the eyelids of the morn, 

And pours increasing day. 

2 O what a night was that, which wrapt 

The heathen world in gloom! 
O what a sun which broke this day, 
Triumphant from the tomb! 

3 This day be grateful homage paid, 

And loud hosannas sung; 
Let gladness dwell in evVy heart. 
And praise on ev'ry tongue. 

4 Ten thousand diff'ring lips* still join 

To hail this welcome morn; 
Which scatters blessings from its wings 
To nations yet unborn. 

^- 32, 

Common Metre. Needham. 
The Lord's day morning. 
1 TT AIL, happy morn! whose early ra^ 
Xn Beheld the Saviour rise; 
Welcome again, auspicious day! 
To our rejoicing eyes. 



the Lord^$ Day. 



25 



2 Oa this ble^t morn, birih-day of hope! 

Let not one soul be sad; 
This is the day the Lord hath naade, 
And bids his saints be glad. 

3 Come, and the wonders of the day, 

In notes harnaonious sing; 
Tell to the world the conquest's gain'd 
By your victorious King. 

4 O happy souls, that feel the pow'r 

Of his attractive love! 
With hitn they die, with him they live^ 
And seek the things above. 



33. 

Proper Metre. Miss Day. 
Attendance upon religious institutions. 

1 T'LL bless Jehovah's glorious name, 
X Whose goodness heav'n and earth pro- 
claim. 

With ev'ry morning light; 
And at the close of ev'ry day, 
To him my cheerful homage pay, 

Who guards me thro' the night. 

2 Then in his churches to appear. 
And pay my humble worship there. 

Shall be my sweet employ: 
The day that saw my Saviour rise, 
Shall dawn on my delighted eyes 
* With pure and holy joy. 

C 



26 



Christian Worships &fc. 



3 With grateful sorrow in my breast, 
I'll celebrate the dying feast, 

Of my departing Lord; 
And while his perfect love I view, 
His bright example Vll pursue, 

And meditate his word* 



PART II. 



Praise to God> 
-i 34. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

God exalted above all praise. 

1 TERNAL PowV! whose high abode 
aIa Becomes the majesty of God; 
Infinite lengths beyond the bounds 
Where stars revolve their little rounds! 

2 Far in the depths of space, thy throne 
Burns with a lustre all its own: 

In shining ranks beneath thy feet, 
Angelic pow'rs and splendors meet. 

3 Lord! what shall feeble mortals do? 
We would adore our Maker too: 
With lowly minds to thee we cry, 
The Great, the Holy, and the High! 

4 Something we learn from nature's frame; 
Thy word has more reveaPd thy name: 
Yet still thy greatness, Lord, we find, 
Leaves all our soaring thoughts behind. 

5 God is in heaven, and man below: 
Short be our tunes, our words be few: 
A sacred rev'rence checks our songs. 
And praise sits silent on our tongues. 



28 



Praise to God* 



35. 

Common Metre. Watts, 

God the proper object of praise. 

1 A WAKE, ye saints! to praise your King^ 
JLjL Your sweetest passions raise; 
Your pious pleasure, while you sing, 

Increasing with the praise. 

2 Great is the Lord^ and works unknown 

Are his divine employ; 
But still his saints are near his throne, 
His treasure and his joy. 

3 Heav'n, earth, and sea, confess his hand, 

He bids the vapours rise; 
Lightning, and storm, at his command, 
Sweep through the sounding skies. 

4 All powV that gods or kings have claim'd 

Is found with him alone; 
But heathen gods should ne'er be nam'd 
Where our Jehovah's known. 

5 Before the true, the living God, 

We bow with faith and fear; 
He makes our churches his abode. 
And claims our honours there. 

36. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 

Praise to God the universal sovereign. 

1 T ET all the earth their voices raise, 
I A To sing the choicest hymns of praise, 
To magnify Jehovah's name: 



Praise to God. 



29 



His glory let the heathens know, 
His wonders to the nations show, 
And all his mighty works proclaim. 

2 The heathens know thy glory, Lord! 
The wond'ring nations read thy word; 

And here Jehovah's name is known: 
Our worship never shall be paid 
T© gods which mortal hands have made; 

Our Maker is our God alone. 

3 He fram'd the globe, he built the sky, 
He made the shining worlds on high. 

And reigns complete in glory there: 
His robes are majesty and light; 
His splendor, how divinely bright! 

His temple, how divinely fair! 

4 Come the great day, the glorious hour, 
When earth shall feel his saving powV, 

And distant nations fear his name: 
Then shall the race of man confess 
The beauty of his holiness. 

And in his courts his grace proclaim. 

37. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 
Praise ye the Lord. 

1 O ING to the Lord a joyful song; 
O Earth, to his praise the note prolong^ 
Till realms remote his acts have known, 
And man's whole race his wonders own. 
C2 



30 



Praise to God. 



2 Great is the Lord, and great his praise,^ 
What god like him our fear can raise? 
Not such as heathen lands afford, 
Created first, and then ador'd. 

3 Let ev'ry people, ev'ry tribe, 

PowV, glory, strength, to him ascribe; 
Yield to his name the honours due; 
Oft to his courts your way pursue. 

4 Before the beauty of his shrine, 
Ye saints, in low prostration join; 
Ye natives of each distant shore. 
His powV revere; his name adore. 

38. 

Common Metre, Watts. 
A hymn of praise to God. 

1 A MONG the princes, earthly gods, 
XJL There's none hath pow'r divine; 
Nor is their nature, mighty Lord! 

Nor are their works like thine. 

2 The nations thou hast made shall bring 

Their ofPrings round thy throne: 
For thou alone dost wondrous things, 
For thou art God alone. 

3 Lord! I would walk with holy feet: 

Teach me thine heav'nly ways; 
And all my noblest powVs unite, 
In God my Father's praise. 



Praise to God. 



31 



39. 

Proper Metre. Warrington Collection* 
The God and Father of Christ to be praised* 

1 COME, all ye sons of Adam, and 
V-/ raise 

A song unto God; how lovely his praise! 
Adore him who reigns in his glory above. 
And fills the wide earth with his tokens of 
love. 

2 His breath is your life, your reason a ray 
Effus'd from his light to guide all your way; 
He heals your diseases, your wants he sup- 
plies. 

And wipes away tears from the penitent's 
eyes. 

3 Dash down your false gods of silver and 

stone; 

Him worship who made earth and heav'n 
alone; 

His prophet, his son, his salvation receive; 
Flee, flee from perdition, obey him and live. 

4 O Father of men! in mercy command 
The gospel to shine on all human land; 
That far as the sun e'er diffuses his flame, 

^Thy praises may rise in Messiah's great 
narn^;. 



32 



Praise to God. 



40. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Reverential worship. 

ING to the Lord Jehovah's name, 
O And in his strength rejoice: 
When his salvation is our theme, 
Exalted be our voice. 

With thanks approach his awful sight, 

And songs of honour sing: 
The Lord's a God of boundless might, 

The whole creation's King. 

Let princes hear, let angels know, 
How mean their natures seem; 

Those gods on high, and gods below, 
When once compar'd with Him. 

Earth with its caverns dark and deep. 

Lies in his spacious hand; 
He fix'd the sea what bounds to keep, 

And where the hills must stand. 

Come, and with humble souls adore; 

Come, kneel before his face: 
O may the creatures of his pow'r 

Be children of his grace! 

41. 

Short Metre. Watts. 
The same subject. 

COME, sound his praise abroad, 
And hymns of glory sing! 



Praise to God. 



53 



Jehovah is the mighty God, 
The universal King. 

2 He forniM the deeps unknown; 
He gave the seas their bound; 

The watVv worlds are all his own, 
And all the solid ground. 

3 Come, worship at his throne; 
Come, bow before the Lord; 

We are his work, and not our own, 
He form'd us by his word. 

4 To-day attend his voice, 
Nor dare provoke his rod; 

Come, like the people of his choice, 
And own your gracious God. 

42. 

Proper Metre. Salisbury Collection* 
Humble adoration. 

1 TTOLY, holy, holy Lord! 

Xx Be thy glorious name ador'd; 
Lord! thy mercies never fail; 
Hail, celestial goodness, hail! 

2 Though unworthy. Lord, thine ear 
Deign our humble songs to hear; 
Purer praise we hope to bring. 
When around thy throne we sing. 

3 There no tongue shall silent be; 
All shall join in harmony; 

That through heaven's capacious round, 
Praise to thee may ever sound. 



34 



Praise to God. 



4 Lord! thy mercies never fail; 
Hail, celestial goodness, hail! 
Holy, holy, holy Lord! 
Be thy glorious name adorM. 

43. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Rational and devout praise* 

1 FOR a shout of sacred joy 
To God the sov'reign King! 

Let evVy land their tongues employ, 
And hymns of triumph sing. 

2 In Isr'el stood his ancient throne; 

He lov'd that chosen race: 
But now he calls the world his own, 
And heathens taste his grace. 

3 While angels praise the heav'nly King, 

Let mortals learn their strains: 
Let all the earth his honours sing; 
O'er all the earth he reigns. 

4 Rehearse his praise with awe profound; 

Let knowledge lead the song; 
Nor mock him with a solemn sound, ^ 
Upon a thoughtless tongue. 

^ 44. 

Long Metre. Tate. 

1 7S TITH one consent, let all the earth 
V V To God their cheerful voices raise; 



Praise to God. 



Glad homage pay with awful mirth, 
And sing before him songs of prise: 

2 Convinc'd that he is God alone, 
From whom both we and all proceed; 
We, whom he chooses for his own, 
The flock that he vouchsafes to feed. 

3 O! enter, then, his temple gate, 
Thence to his courts devoutly press; 
And still your grateful hymns repeat, 
And still his name with praises bless! 

4 For he's the Lord, supremely good, 
His mercy is for ever sure; 

His truth, which always firmly stood, 
To endless ages shall endure. 

45. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

1 T> EFORE Jehovah's awful throne, 
Xj Ye nations, bow with sacred joy; 
Know that the Lord is God alone; 
He can create, and he destroy. 

2 His sovereign powV, without our aid, 
Made us of clay, and form'd us men; 
And when like wandVing sheep we stray 
He brought us to his fold again. 

3 We are his people, we his care. 
Our souls and all our mortal frame; 
What lasting honours shall we rear, 
Almighty Maker, to thy name! 



36 



Pmise to God. 



4 We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs, 
High as the heavens our voices raise; 
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues, 
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. 

5 Wide as the world is thy command; 
Vast as eternity thy love; 

Firm as a rock thy truth must stand,, 
When rolling years shall cease to move. 

Q V 46. 

,U ^i^^ Long Metre. Watts. 

Praise from all nations. 

1 ROM all that dwell below the skies, 
A Let the Creator's praise arise! 

Let his almighty name be sung. 
Thro' ev'ry land, by ev'ry tongue! 

2 Eternal are thy mercies. Lord! 
Eternal truth attends thy word: 

Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, 
Till suns shall rise and set no more. 

47. 

Common Metre. Edinburgh Collection. 
Praise to God as the jirst and the last. 

1 T AM the first, and I the last; 
X Time centres all in me: 

Th' Almighty God, who was, and is, 
And ever more shall be. 

2 To him let ev'ry tongue be praise, 

And ev'ry heart be love; 



Praise to God. 



37 



All grateful honours paid on earth, 
And nobler songs above! 

\ 48. 

Proper Metre. Walker's Collection. 

Glory to the most high God, 

1 LORY be to God on high! Hallelujah! 
vJT God, whose glory fills the sky; 
Lift your voice, ye people all, 

Praise the God on whom ye call. 

2 God his sovereign sway maintains; 
King o'er all the earth he reigns: 
All to him lift up their eye; 

He does ev'ry want supply. 

2 Sons of earth, the triumph join, 
Praise him with the host divine; 
Emulate the heav'nly pow'rs; 
Their all-gracious God is ours. 

4 Happy, who his laws obey! 

Them he rules with milder sway; 
Pure and holy hearts alone 
He hath chosen for his own. 

3 Him, whose joy is to restore. 
Him let all our hearts adore: 
Earth and heav'n repeat the cry, 
Glory be to God on high. 

D 



38 



Praise to God. 



49. 



Common Metre. Merrick. 

Universal praise. 

1 \ RISE, ye people! clap the hand, 
JTx. Exulting strike the chord; 
Let evVy isle and evVy land 
Confess th' Almighty Lord. 

^ Sing to our God in loudest strain, 
Perpetual praises sing: 
O'er earth's wide bounds extends his reign j 
O praise our God and King. 

3 Prepare, prepare, with tuneful art. 

In one assembled throng. 
Your shares of harmony to part, 
And raise the heav'n-taught song. 

4 His sway the sons of human kind 

With humble homage own; 
And sanctity, with pow'r combin'd, 
Supports his lasting throne. 

5 For he, wTiose hands amid the skies 

Th' eternal sceptre wield, 
To earth's whole race his care applies. 
And o'er them spreads the shield. 



Common Metre. New Selection. 
Protection and praise. 
IT ET songs of praise from all below 



X 50. 




Praise to God. 



39 



Whose bounties unexhausted flow. 
Whose mercies know no end. 

2 But chief by them that debt be paid, 

'Midst dangers circling round, 
Who still in thy almighty aid 
Have sure protection found. 

3 The wand'ring exile, doom'd to stray 

O'er many a desart wide^ 
Who fearless takes his lonely way, 
With God his guard and guide:-— 

4 The mariner, who tempts the sea 

When storms impending low'r. 
Or tempests rage — ^yet trusts in thee, 
And owns thy mighty pow'r: — 

^ The wretch who press'd by countless woes, 
That no cessation see. 
Still bids his steadfast hope repose, 
Almighty Lord! on thee:—- 

6 All, all shall join to bless thy name,^ 
Whose heav'nly aid they prove; 
As all have felt, let all proclaim 
Thy boundless pow'r, and love. 

V 51. 

Proper Metre. Birmingham Collection. 

Good men invited to praise God. 

8 "X/E works of God! on him alone, 

X His footstool earth, high heav'n his 
throne. 
Be all your prais^ bestow'd: 



40 



Praise to God. 



His hand the beauteous fabric made, 
His eye the finished work surveyed, 
And saw that all was good. 

2 Ye sons of men! his praise display, 
Who stamp'd his image on your clay, 

And gave it pow'r to move: 
Where'er ye go, where'er ye dwell, 
From age to srge successive tell 

The wonders of his love. 

3 Ye spirits of the just and good! 
Who, panting for that blest abode, 

To heav'n's l)right mansions soar: 
O let your songs his praise display. 
Till nature's self shall waste away. 

And time shall be no more. 

4 Praise him, ye meek and humble train! 
Who shall those heav'nly joys obtain, 

Prepar'd for souls sincere: 
Now praise him till you take your way 
To regions of eternal day, 

To dwell for ever there. 



And let all his saints in full concert join: 
With voices united the anthem prolong, 
And show forth his praises with music d 




vme. 



Praise to God. 



41 



2 Let praise to the Lord, who made us, 

ascend. 

Let each grateful heart be glad in its King: 
, The God, whom we worship, our songs will 
attend, 

And view with complacence the offering we 
bring, 

3 Be joyful, ye saints, sustain'd by his might, 
And let your glad songs awake with each 

morn: 

For those who obey him are still his delight, 
His hand with salvation the meek will adorn. 

4 Then praise ye the Lord^ prepare a glad 

song. 

And let all his saints in full concert join: 
With voices united the anthem prolong. 
And show forth his praises with music di- 
vine. 

53. 

Proper Metre. Fawcett. 
Universal Praise. 

1 T)R AISE to thee! thou great Creator, 
X"^ Praise to thee from evVy tongue; 
Join, my soul, with evVy creature, 
Join the universal song. 

2 For ten thousand blessings giv'n. 
For the hope of future joy; 

Sound his praise thro' earth and heav'n, 
Sound Jehovah's praise on high. 
D 2 



42 



Praise to God. 



54. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Rowe» 

Praise to the God of naturet 

1 T> EGIN, my soul, the lofty strain; 
J3 In solemn accents s!ng 

A " acred hymn of grateful praise 
To heav'n's almighty King. 

2 Ye curling fountains, as ye roll 

Your silver waves along, 
Whisper to all your verdant shores 
The subject of my song. 

3 Retain it long, ye echoing rocks, 

The sacred sound retain, 
And from your hollow winding caves 
Return it oft again. 

4 Bear it, ye winds, on all your wings, 

To distant climes away, 
And round the wide-extended world 
The lofty theme convey. 

5 Take the glad burden of his name, 

Ye clouds, as you arise, 
Whether to deck the golden morn, 
Or shade the ev'ning skies. 

6 Let harmless thunders roll along 

The smooth ethereal plain, 
And answer from the crystal vault, 
To evVy bounduig strain. 

7 Long let it warble round the spheres, 

And echo thro' the skyj 



Praise to God, 



43 



Let angels, with immortal skill, 
Improve the harmony: 

8 Whilst we, with sacred rapture fir'd, 
The great Creator sing, 
And utter consecrated lays 
To heav'n's eternal King. 

/'I 

\ 55. 

Long Metre. Dyer. 

Hy 71171 to the Deity. 

1 REATEST of beings, source of life, 
yj Sov'reign of air, and earth, and sea! 
All nature feels thy pow'r, and all 

A silent homage pay to thee. ^ - 

2 Wak'd by thy hand, the morning sun 
Pours forth to thee its earlier rays, 
And spreads thy glories as it climbs; 
While raptur'd worlds look up and praise. 

3 The moon, to the deep shades of night. 
Speaks the mild lustre of thy name; 
While all the stars, that cheer the scene. 
Thee, the great Lord of light proclaim. 

4 And groves, and vales, and rocks, and hills, 
And ev'ry flow'r, and evVy tree. 

Ten thousand creatures, warm with life, 
^ave each a grateful song for thee. 

5 But man was form'd to rise to heav'n; 
And, blest with reason's clearer light. 
He views his Maker through his works, 
And glows with rapture at the sight. 



44 



Praise to God. 



6 Nor can the thousand songs that rise, 
Whether from air, or earth, or sea, 
So well repeat Jehovah's praise, 
Or raise such sacred harmony. 

56. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
Universal praise. 

1 TEHOVAH! 'tis a glorious word; 
J O may it dwell on ev*ry tongue! 

But saints, who best have known the Lord, 
Are bound to raise the noblest song. 

2 High on a throne his glories dwell. 
An awful throne of shining bliss! 
Fly through the world, O sun, and tell. 
How dark thy beams compared to his. 

3 Awake, ye tempests, and his fame 
In sounds of dreadful praise declare; 
And the sweet whisper of his name 
Fill evVy gender breeze of air. 

4 Let clouds, and winds, and waves agree, 
To join their praise with blazing fire; 
Let the firm earth, and rolling sea, 
In this eternal song conspire. 

5 Ye flow'ry plains, proclaim his skill; 
Valleys, lie low before his eye; 
And let his praise from evVy hill 
JRise tuneful to the neighboring sky. 



Praise to God. 



45 



6 Mortals, can you refrain your tongue, 
While nature all around you sings? 

O for a shout from old and young, 
From humble swains and lofty kings! 

7 Wide as his vast dominion lies, 
Make the Creator's name be known; 
Loud as his thunder shout his praise, 
And sound it lofty as his throne. 

57. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 
The same subject. 

1 TT" E tribes of Adam, join 

X With heav'n, and earth, and seas, 
And offer notes divine 
To your Creator's praise. 

Ye holy throng 

Of angels bright. 

In worlds of light, 

Begin the song. 

2 Thqu sun with dazzling rays. 
And moon that rul'st the night. 
Shine to your Maker's praise, 
With stars of twinkling light. 

His pow'r declare, 
Ye floods on high. 
And clouds that fly 
In empty air. 

3 The shining worlds above 
In glorious order stand, 



46 



Praise to God. 



Or in swift courses move 
By his supreme command. 

He spake the word, 

And all their frame 

From nothing came 

To praise the Lord. 

^4 He movM their mighty wheels 
In unknown ages past; 
And each his word fulfils 
While time and nature last. 

In different ways 

His works proclaim 

His wondrous name. 

And speak his praise* 

58. 

Short Metre. Watts. 

Universal pratse*^ 

1 T ET ev'ry creature join 

1 A To praise th' eternal God;' 
Ye heav'nly hosts, the song begin, 
And sound his name abroad. 

2 Thou sun with golden beams, 
And moon with paler rays, 

Ye starry lights, ye twinkling flames. 
Shine to your Maker's praise. 

3 He built those worlds above. 
And fix'd their wondrous frame; 

By his command they stand, or move 
And ever speak his name. 



Praise to God* 



47 



4 Ye vapours, when ye rise, 
Or fall in show'rs, or snow, 

Ye thunders, murmuring round the skies, 
His pow'r and glory show. 

5 Wind, hail, and flashing fire, 
Agree to praise the Lord, 

When ye in dreadful storms conspire 
To execute his word. 

6 By all his works above 
His honours be exprest; 

But they who taste his wondrous love 
Should sing his praises best. 

V 59. ^ 

Long Metre* Williams's Collection. 
The same subject. 

1 ELESTIAL worlds! your Maker's 
V-/ name 

Resound through ev'ry shining coast: 
Oar God a nobler praise will claim, 
Where he unfolds his glories most. 

2 Stupendous globe of flaming day? 
Praise him in thy sublime career; 
He struck from night thy peerless ray, 
Gave thee thy path, and guides thee there. 

3 Ye starry lamps, to whom 'tis giv'n 
Night's sable horrors to illume. 

Praise him who hung you high in heav'n, 
With vivid fires to gild the gloom. 



48 



Praise to God. 



4 Lightnings, that round th' Eternal play! 
Thunders, that from his arm are hurlM! 
The grandeur of your God convey. 
Blazing, or bursting on the world. 

5 From clime to clime, from shore to shore, 
Be the almighty God adorM: 

He made the nations by his pow'r, 

And rules them with his sov'reign wordt 

6 At once let nature's ample round 
To God the vast thanksgiving raise: 
His high perfection knows no bound, 
But fills the immensity of space. 

60. 

Proper Metre. Ogilvie. 

The same subject* 

1 T) EGIN, my soul, th' exalted lay, 
JD Let each enraptur'd thought obey. 

And praise the almighty name; 
Let heav'n, and earth, and seas, and skies. 
In one harmonious concert rise. 

To swell the glorious theme. 

2 Ye angels, catch the joyful sound. 
While all th' adoring throngs around 

His wondrous mercy sing; 
Let all who fill the realms above 
Awake the tuneful soul of love, 

And touch the sweetest string. 



Praise to God. 



49 



S Thou heav'n of heav'ns, his vast abode, 
Ye clouds, proclaim your Maker, God; 

'Ye thunders, speak his pow'r: 
Lo! on the lightning's gleamy wing 
In triumph rides th' eternal King; 
Th' astonish'd worlds adore. 

4 Ye deeps, whose roaring billows rise 
To join the thunders of the skies, 

Praise him, who bids you roll; 
His praise in softer notes declare, 
Each whisp'ring breeze of yielding air. 

And breathe it to the soul. 

5 Wake, all ye feather'd throngs, and sing; 
Ye cheerful warblers of the spring, 

Harmonious anthems raise 
To him who shap'd your finer mould. 
Who tippM your glitt'ring wings with gold, 

And tun'd your voice to praise. 

6 Let man, by nobler passions svvay'd, 
The feeling heart, the judging head, 

In heav'nly praise employ; 
Spread the Creator's name around. 
Till heav'ns extended arch rebound 

The general burst of joy. 

61. 

Proper Metre. Williams's Collection. 
The same subject. 

1 1^ FOR a hymn of universal praise! 
\ J Its Maker's name let ev'ry creature 

raise: 

E 



so 



Praise to God. 



Ye lofty heav'ns, begin the solemn sound. 
And let it spread the wide creation round 

2 Bless him, thou sun, great ruler of the day 
Before whose splendors thine must fade 

away; 

To him the honours paid to thee restore. 
And teach mankind thy Maker to adore. 

3 Ye moon and stars, who, with more feeble 

light, 

Break thro' the shades and gild the gloom 
of night, 

Far as you can diffuse your feeble ravs, 
Tell his great name and propagate his praise. 

4 Let mists and clouds and meteors all con- 

spire 

In this blest work, and help to fill the choir: 
While loud his praises foaming billows roar. 
And seas resound his name from shore to 
shore. 

5 Ye fertile plains, display your gayest pride, 
Ye valleys, to his honour low subside; 
And at his call, ye mountains, stately rise. 
And bear his praises to the neighb'ring 

skies. 

6 Loud as his thunders let his praises sound. 
From heav'n to earth, from world to world 

rebound; 

Let art and nature in the song conspire, 
And the whole world become one sacred 
choir. 



Praise to God. 



62. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Rowe. 
Praise from all nature. 

1 'THHE glorious armies of the sky 

JL To thee, almighty King! 
Harmonious anthems consecrate. 
And hallelujahs sing. 

2 But still their most exalted flights 

Fall vastly short of thee: 
How distant then must human praise 
From thy perfections be! 

3 Yet how, great God! shall we refrainj^ 

When, to our 'rapturM sense. 
Each creature in its various ways 
Displays thine excellence? 

4 The brilliant lights that shine above, 

In bright magnificence. 
Reveal their mighty Maker's praise 
With silent eloquence. 

5 The blushes of the morn confess 

That thou art much more fair; 
When in the east its beams revive, 
To gild the fields of air. 

6 The fragrant, the refreshing breath 
j Of evVy flow'ry bloom, 

In balmy whispers owns from thee 
Their pleasing odours come. 

7 The warbling birds, the hollow winds, 

And waters murm'ring fall, 



52 



Praise to God. 



To praise the First Almighty cause, 
With difF'rent voices call. 

8 Thy numerous works exalt thee thus, 
And shall man silent be? 
No, rather let us cease to breathe 
Than cease from praising thee, 

"63. 

Common Metre. Jervis. 

Praise the peculiar duty of man* 

1 T ORD of the world's majestic frame! 
i A Stupendous are thy ways; 

Thy various works declare thy name, 
And all resound thy praise* 

2 The heav'ns thy matchless skill display, 

With all the stars of light; 
The splendid sun that rules the day. 
The silver moon by night. 

3 And while those radiant orbs of light, 

That shine from pole to pole, 
In silent harmony unite 
To praise thee as they roll; 

4 Oh! shall not we of human race, 

The glorious concert join? 
Shall not the children of thy grace 
Attempt the theme divine? 

5 Not all the feeble notes of time 

Can show forth God's high praise; 
Nor all the noblest strains sublime 
That earth or heav'n can raise. 



Praise to God. 



53 



6 Yet this shall be our best employ, 
Thro' life's uncertain days: 
And in the realms of boundless joy, 
te Eternal be thy praise. 



64. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
Desiring to praise God. 

1 T) E thou exalted, O my God! 

JlJ Above the heav'ns where angels dwell: 
Thy pow'r on earth be known abroad, 
And land to land thy wonders tell. 

2 My heart is fix'd; my song shall raise 
Immortal honours to thy name: 
Awake, my tongue, to sound his praise, 
My tongue, the glory of my frame! 

3 In thee, my God! are all the springs 
Of boundless love, and grace unknown: 
All the rich blessings nature brings. 
Are gifts descending from thy throne. 

4 High o'er the earth thy mercy reigns, 
And reaches to the utmost sky: 
Thy truth to endless years remains. 
When lower worlds dissolve and die. 

5 Be thou exalted, O my God! 

Above the heav'ns where angels dwell: 
Thy pow'r on earth be known abroad, 
And land to land thy wonders tell. 
E2 



54 



-Praise to God. 



V 65. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Everlasting praise. 

1 T\ /TY God! my King! to thee I'll raise 
-LVA My voice, and all my pow'rs: 
Unwearied songs of sacred praise 

Shall fill the circling hours. 

2 Thy name shall dwell upon my tongue. 

While suns shall set and rise; 
And tune my everlasting song, 
When all creation dies. 



PART III. 



The Works of God celebrated^ 

^ 66. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The creation of the world. 

1 T ET heav'n arise, let earth appear, 
JL-i Said the Almighty Lord; 

The heav'ns arose, the earth appear^ 
At his creating word, 

2 Thick darkness brooded o'er the deep: 

God said, Let there be light! 
The light shone forth with smiling ray, 
And scattered ancient night. 

3 He bade the clouds ascend on high; 

The clouds ascend, and bear 
A wat'ry treasure to the sky, 
And float upon the air. 

4 The liquid element below 

Was gathered by his hand; 
The rolling seas together flow. 
And leave the solid land. 

5 With herbs, and plants, and fruitful trees, 

The new-form'd globe he crown'd, 
Ere there was rain to bless the soil, 
Or sun to warm the ground. 



56 



The works of God celebrated* 



6 Then, high in heav'n's resplendent arch, 

He plac'd those orbs of light; 
He causM the sun to rule the day, 
The moon to rule the night. 

7 Next, from the deep, th' Almighty King 

Did vital beings frame; 
Fowls of the air of cvVy wingj 
And fish of ev'ry name, 

8 To all the various brutal tribes 

He gave their wondrous birth; 
At once the lion and the worm 
Sprang from the teeming earth. 

9 Then, chief, o'er all his works below, 

At last was Adam made; 
His Maker's image bless'd his soul, 
And glory crown'd his head. 

10 Fair in th' Almighty Maker's eye 

The whole creation stood; 
He view'd the fabric he had rais'd; 
His word pronounc'd it good. 

67. 

Common Metre. Dodsley's Poems. 
God the Creator of mankind. 

1 OD of our lives, whose bounteous care 
Vjr First gave us pow'r to move! 
How shall our thankful hearts declare 

The wonders of thy love? 

2 While void of thought and sense w^ lay, 

Dust of our parent earth, 



The works of God celebrated. 5 

Thy breath informed the sleeping clay, 
And call'd us into birth. 

3 Thine eye beheld in perfect view 

The yetimfinishM plan; 
Th' imperfect lines thy pencil drew, 
And form'd the future man, 

4 O may this frame, which rising grew 

Beneath thy forming hands, ^ / 
Be studious ever to pursue " ' 

Whatever thy will commands. 

V 68. 

Common Metre. Grove. 
God the Creator. 

1 LORD, how excellent thy name! 
V_y How glorious to behold. 
Engraven fair on all thy works 

In characters of gold! 

2 On heaven's unmeasurable face, 

In lines immensely great; 
In small, on ev'ry leaf and flowV, 
Creator-God is writ. 

3 Though reason be not giv'n to all, 

Nor voice to thee, O sun! 
Their Maker all proclaim, and here 
Their language is but one. 

4 From land to land, from world to world, 

Thy fame is echoM round; 
And ages, as they pass, transmit 
The never-dying sound. 



58 



The works of God celebrated. 



5 Angels, the eldest sons of God, 

Began the lofty song; 
They saw the heav'ns expand abroad, 
And earth on nothing hung^ 

6 Then man, the last and noblest work 

Of all this nether frame, 
With the first vital breath he drew. 
Confessed from whence he came. 

7 O let us all give praise to God, 

And magnify his name; 
The wonders of his pow'r and love 
Let the whole world proclaim. 

69. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

The voice of Nature. 

1 \ LMIGHT Y goodness, pow'r divine, 
XjL The fields and verdant meads display; 
And bless the hand which made them shine, 
With various charms profusely gay. 

2 For man and beast, here daily food 
In wide diffusive plenty grows; 

And there, for drink, the chrystal flood 
In streams sweet-winding gently flows. 

3 By cooling streams and soft'ning show'rs. 
The vegetable race are fed; 

And trees and plants and herbs and flow'rs, 
Their Maker's bounty smiling spread. 

4 The flow'ry tribes all blooming rise 
Above the faint attempts of art; 



The works of God celebrated. 



59 



Their bright inimitable dyes 

Speak sweet conviction to the heart, 

5 Ye curious minds, who roam abroad, 
And trace creation's wonders o'er^ 
Confess the footsteps of the God, 
And bow before him and adore. 

70. 

Long Metre. Addison. 
The voice of God i/z his works. 

1 ^ I ^HE spacious firmament on high, 

jL With all the blue ethereal sky. 
And spangled heav'ns, a shining frame. 
Their great original proclaim. 

2 Th' unwearied sun, from day to day, 
Doth his Creator's pow'r display; 
And publishes to ev'ry land. 

The work of an almighty hand. 

3 Soon as the ev'ning shades prevail, 

• The moon takes up the wondrous tale; 
And nightly to the listening earth 
Repeats the story of her birth: 

4 Whilst all the stars which round her burn. 
And all the planets in their turn, 
Confirm the tidings as they roll. 

And spread the truth from pole to pole. 

5 What tho', in solemn silence, all 
Move round this dark terrestrial ball; 
What tho' no real voice nor sound. 
Amidst their radiant orbs be found: 



60 



The works of God celebrated* 



6 In reason's ear they all rejoice, 
And utter forth a glorious voice; 
For ever singing, as they shine— 
" The hand that made us is divine.'* 

■ v7i. 

Short Metre. Watts^ 
Praise to the Creator. 

1 A LMIGHTY maker, God! 
JTJl How virondrous is thy name! 

Thy glories how difFus'd abroad 
Thro' all creation's frame! 

2 Nature in ev'ry dress 
Her humble homage pays; 

And does a thousand ways express 
Her undissembled praise. 

3 My soul would rise and sing 
To her Creator too: 

Fain would my tongue adore my King, 
And pay the homage due. 

4 In joy, oh! let me spend 
The remnant of my days; 

And oft to God, my soul! ascend 
In grateful songs of praise. 

72.. c. 

Common Metre. Liverpool Old Collec» 

TION. 

Devout contemplation of creation. 
1 T OOK round, O man! survey this globes 
jLu Speak of creating pow'r; 



The works of God celebrated. 61 



See nature gives a different robe 
To ev'ry herb and flow'n 

2 See various beings fill the air, 

And people earth and sea; 
What grateful changes form the year! 
How constant night and day! 

3 Next raise thine eye; the vast expanse 

A pow'r unbounded shows; 
See round the sun the planets dance, 
And various worlds compose. 

4 Then turn into thyself, O man! 

With wonder view thy soul; 
Confess his pow'r who laid each plan, 
And still directs the whole. 

5 And let obedience to his laws 

Thy gratitude proclaim, 
To Him, the first Almighty Cause, 
Jehovah is his name. 

73. 

Common Metre. Gentleman's Magazine. 
The God of nature invoked. 

1 T T AIL, great Creator, wise and good! 
X JL To thee our songs we raise; 
Nature, through all her various scenes, 

Invites us to thy praise. 

2 At morning, noon, and ev'ning mild. 

Fresh wonders strike our view; 
And while we gaze, our hearts exult. 
With transports ever new. 
F 



62 



The works of God celebrated. 



3 Thy glory beams in evVy star 

Which gilds the gloom of night; 
And decks the smiling face of morn 
With rays of cheerful light. 

4 The lofty hill, the humble lawn, 

With countless beauties shine: 
The silent grove, the awful shade, 
Proclaim thy pow'r divine. 

5 Great nature's God! still may these scenes 

Our serious hours engage; 
Still may our grateful hearts consult 
Thy works' instructive page! 

6 And while, in all thy wondrous works, 

Thy vary'd love we see; 
Still may the contemplation lead 
Our hearts, O God, to thee! 

74. 

Proper Metre. Merrick. 

The perfections and providence of God. 

1 T IFT your voice, and joyful sing 
I .J Praises to your heavenly King; 
For his blessings far extend. 

And his mercy knows no end. 

2 Be the Lord your noblest theme, 
Who of gods is God supreme; 
He, to whom all lords beside 
Bow the knee, and veil their pride. 

3 Who asserts his just command 
By the wonders of his hand: 



The works of God celebrated. 

He, whose wisdom thron'd on high, 
Built the mansions of the sky: 

4 He, who bade the watVy deep 
Under earth's foundation sleep; 
And the orbs that gild the pole 
Thro' the boundless ether roll; 

5 Thee, O sun, whose powVful ray 
Rules the empire of the day; 

You, O moon and stars, whose light, 
Gilds the darkness of the night. 

6 He with food sustains, O earth. 
All who claim from thee their birth; 
For his blessings far extend. 

And his mercy knows no end* 

75. 

Proper Metre. Milton. 

The same subject. 

1 T ET us with a joyful mind 

X- ii Praise the Lord, for he is kind: 
For his mercies shall endure. 
Ever faithful, ever sure. 

2 Let us sound his name abroad, 
For of gods he is the God: 
Who by wisdom did create 
Heav'n's expanse, and all its state: 

3 Did the solid earth ordain 
How to rise above the main: 
Who, by his commanding might, 
Fill'd the new-made world with light: 



64 



The works of God celebrated. 



4 Caus'(J the golden-tressed sun. 
All the day his course to run; 
And the moon to shine by night, 
'Mid her spanglM sisters bright. 

5 All his creatures God does feed, 
His full hand supplies their need: 
Let us therefore warble forth 
His high majesty and worth. 

6 He his mansion hath on high, 
'Bove the reach of mortal eye: 
And his mercies shall endure, 
Ever faithful, ever sure. 



1 T^HOU who sitt'st enthroned above! 



Thou, who art most great, most high! 
God, from all eternity! 

2 0,how sweet, how excellent, 

'Tis when tongue and heart consent; 
Grateful hearts and joyful tongues. 
Hymning thee in tuneful songs! 

3 When the morning paints the skies. 
When the stars of ev'ning rise. 
We thy praises will record, 
Sovereign Ruler! mighty Lord! 

4 Decks the spring with flowVs the field? 
Harvest rich doth autumn yield? 





Thou, in whom we live and move! 



The works of God celebrated. 65 



Giver of all good below! 

Lord, from thee these blessings flow. 

5 Sovereign Ruler! mighty Lord! 
We thy praises will record: 
Giver of these blessings! we 
Pour the grateful song to thee. 

. 77. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
The year crowned with goodness. 

1 TERNAL Source of ev'ry joy! 
Well may thy praise our lips employ, 

While in thy temple we appear: 

Thy goodness crowns the circling year. 

2 Wide as the wheels of nature roll, 
Thy hand supports the steady pole: 
By thee the sun is taught to rise, 
And darkness when to veil the skies. 

3 The flowVy spring, at thy command, 
Perfumes the air, and paints the land; 
The summer-rays with vigour shine. 
To raise the corn, and cheer the vine. 

4 Thy hand in autumn richly pours 
Through all our coasts redundant stores; 
And winters,* soften'd by thy care, 

No more a face of horror wear. 

5 Seasons, and months, and weeks, and days, 
Demand successive songs of praise; 

Still be the cheerful homage paid 
With morning light and ev'ning shade. 
F 2 



66 



The works of God celebrated. 



6 O may our more harmonious tongues 
In worlds unknown pursue the songs; 
And in those brighter courts adore, 
Where days and years revolve no more! 

78. 

Proper Metre. John Taylor. 
Thanksgiving for fruitful seasons. 

1 "D E JOICE! the Lord is King! 
X\ Your Lord and King adore; 
Mortals, give thanks and sing, 
And triumph evermore: 

Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice, 
Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. 

2 His wintry north winds blow, 
Loud tempests rush amain; 
Yet his thick flakes of snow 
Defend the infant grain: 

Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice, 
Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. 

3 He wakes the genial spring, 
Perfumes the balmy air; 
The vales their tribute bring. 
The promise of the year: 

Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice, 
Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. 

4 High from th' ethereal plain 
Bright suns their influence fling; 
He gives the v/elcome rain, 
That makes the valleys sing: 



The works of God celebrated. 



67 



Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice, 
Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. 

5 He leads the circling year, 
His flocks the hills adorn; 
He fills the golden ear, 

And loads the fields with corn: 
O happy mortals, raise your voice, 
Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. 

6 Lead on your fleeting train. 
Ye years, ye months and days! 
O bring th' eternal reign 

Of love, and joy, and praise: 

Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice, 

Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. 

79. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The providence of God in the seasons. 

1 "\^7ITH songs and honours sounding 

VV loud. 
Address the Lord on high; 
Over the heav'ns he spreads his cloud, 
And waters veil the sky. 

2 He sends his show'rs of blessings down 

To cheer the plains below; 
He makes the grass the mountains crown, 
And corn in valleys grow. 

3 He gives the grazing ox his meat; 
^ He hears the ravens cry; 

But man, who tastes his finest wheat, 
Should raise his honours high. 



68 The works of God celebrated. 

4 His steady counsels change the face 

Of the declining year; 
He bids the sun cut short his race, 
And wint'ry days appear. 

5 His hoary frost, his fleecy snow, 

Descend, and clothe the ground; 
The liquid streams forbear to flow, 
In icy fetters bound. 

6 He sends his word and melts the snow, 

The fields no longer mourn: 
He calls the warmer gales to blow, 
And bids the spring return. 

7 The changing wind, the flying cloud, 

Obey his mighty word: 
With songs and honours sounding loud, 
Praise ye the sovereign Lord. 

80. 

Common Metre. Needham. 
The seasons ordained by God. 

1 nnHE rolling year, Almighty Lord! 

X Obeys thy powerful nod; 
Each season, as it silent moves, 
Declares the present God. 

2 Wak'd by thy voice, out steps the spring. 

In living green new drest; 
On hills, in vales, thro' fields and groves, 
Thy beauties stand confest. 

3 The sun calls forth the summer months, 

Nor do the hours delay; 



The -works of God celebrated. 69 

The fruits with varied colours glow 
Beneath his rip'ning ray. 

4 Thy bounty, Lord! in autumn shines, 
And spreads a common feast; 

He that regards his fav'rite, man, 

Will not neglect the beast. ' 

5 When winter rears her hoary head, 

And shows her furrow'd brow. 
In storms and tempests, frosts and snows; 
How awful, Lord, art thou! 

6 The rolling year, Almighty Lord! 

Obeys thy powVful nod; 
Each season, as it silent moves, 
Declares the present God. 



Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. ^^^'^ 



Praise to the God of the seasons. 

1 Q« ING to the Lord! let praise inspire 
O The grateful voice, the tuneful lyre; 
In strains of joy, proclaim abroad 

The endless glories of our God. 

2 He counts the hosts of starry flames. 
Knows all their natures and their names: 
Great is our God! his wond'rous pow'r 
And boundless wisdom we adore. 

3 He veils the sky with treasur'd showVs; 
On earth the plenteous blessing pours; 
The mountains smile in lively green. 
And fairer blooms the flowVy scene. 



81. 




TO The works of God celebrated. 

4 His bounteous hand, great spring of good, 
Provides the brute creation food; 

He feeds the ravens when they cry; 
All nature lives beneath his eye. 

5 Dear to the Lord, for ever dear, 
The heart where he implants his fear; 
The souls who on his grace rely, 
These, these are lovely in his eye. 

82. 

I j Common Metre. Watts. 

The same subject. 

1 I "IS by thy strength the mountains stand, 
JL God of eternal pow'r! 

The sea grows calm at thy command 
And tempests cease to roar. 

2 Thy morning light and evening shade 

Successive comforts bring; 
Thy plenteous fruits make harvest glad, 
Thy flow'rs adorn the spring. 

3 Seasons and times, and moons and hours, 

Heav'n, earth, and air are thine; 
When clouds distil in fruitful show'rs. 
The author is divine. 

4 Those floating cisterns in the sly, 

Borne by the winds around, 
With wat'ry treasures well supply 
The furrows of the ground. 

5 The thirsty ridges drink their fill, 

And ranks of corn appear: 



The works of God celebrated. 71 



Thy ways abound with blessings still, 
Thy goodness crowns the year. 

83. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The blessings of the spring. 

1 OOD is the Lord, the heav'nly King, 
vJ Who makes the earth his care; 
Visits the pastures ev'ry spring, 

And bids the grass appear. 

2 The clouds, like rivers rais'd on high, 

Pour out, at thy command, 
Their wat'ry blessings from the sky, 
To cheer the thirsty land. 

3 The soften'd ridges of the field 

Permit the corn to spring; 
The valleys rich provision yield, 
And the poor lab'rers sing. 

4 The little hills on ev'ry side 

Rejoice at falling show'rs; 
The meadows, dress'd in all their pride, 
Perfume the air with flow'rs. 

5 The barren clods refresh'd with rain, 

Promise a joyful crop; 
The parched grounds look green again. 
And raise the reaper's hope. 

6 The various months thy goodness crowns; 

How bounteous are thy ways! 
The bleating flocks spread o'er the downs, 
And shepherds shout thy praise* 



72 The works of God celebrated. 



84 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Spring. 

1 T yf 7"HILE beauty clothes the fertile vale, 

V V And blossoms on the spray. 
And fragrance breathes in evVy gale, 
How sweet the vernal day! 

2 How kind the influence of the skies! 

Soft showVs, with blessings fraught, 
Bid verdure, beauty, fragrance rise, 
And fix the roving thought. 

3 O let my wondering heart confess. 

With gratitude and love. 
The bounteous hand that deigns to bless 
The garden, field, and grove. 

4 That bounteous hand my thoughts adore, 

Beyond expression kind, 
Hath sweeter, nobler gifts in store. 
To bless the craving mind. 

5 InspirM to praise, I then shall join 

Glad Nature's cheerful song; 
And love and gratitude divine 
Attune my joyful tongue. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 
The blessings of the year the gift of Providence* 
1 nr^HE morn and eve thy praise resound, 
X Lord! as they walk th' ethereal roundj 



The works of God celebrated. 73 



Thy visits teach the grateful soil 
To recompense the laborer's toil. 

2 By unexhausted springs supplyM, 
The river pours its copious tide; 

A thousand streams, in sportive play, 
Thro' the rich meadows wind their way. 

3 The clouds, in frequent show'rs distillM, 
Drop fatness on the fruitful field, 

Break the rough glebe, the furrows cheer, 
And crown with good the smiling year. 

4 The pastures of th' extended waste 
Thy gifts in rich profusion taste; 
The hills around exulting stand, 
And show the bounty of thy hand. 

5 Cherish'd at length by lenient skies, 
Herbage and corn luxuriant rise: 
The laughing vale assumes a tongue, 
And bursts triumphant into song. 

86. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Seed-time and harvest. 

1 nnHE rising morn, the closing day, 

X Repeat thy praise with grateful voice; 
Both in their turns thy pow'r display, 
And laden with thy gifts rejoice. 

2 Earth's wide-extended, varying scenes, 
All smiling round, thy bounty show; 
From seas or clouds, full magazines, 
Thy rich diffusive blessings flow. 

G 



74 



The works of God celebrated. 



3 Now earth receives the precious seed, 
Which thy indulgent hand prepares; 
And nourishes the future bread. 
And answers all the sower's cares. 

4 Thy sweet refreshing show'rs attend, 
And through the ridges gently flow, 
Soft on the springing corn descend; 
And thy kind blessing makes it grow. 

5 Thy goodness crowns the circling year, 
Thy paths drop fatness all around; 
Ev'n barren wilds thy praise declare, 
And echoing hills return the sound. 

6 Here, spreading flocks adorn the plain; 
There, plenty ev'ry charm displays; 
Thy bounty clothes each lovely scene. 
And joyful nature shouts thy praise. 

87. 

Long Metre. Gentleman's Magazine. 
Autwnnal hymn. 

1 RE AT God! at whose all-pow'rful call 
\jr At first arose this beauteous frame. 
By thee the seasons change, and all 

The changing seasons speak thy name. 

2 Thy bounty bids the infant year, 
From winter storms recover'd, rise; 
When thousand grateful scenes appear, 
Fresh op'ning to our wond'ring eyes. 

3 O how delightful 'tis to see 

The earth in vernal beauty drest! 



The works of^God celebrated. 7S 

While in each herb, and flow'r, and tree, 
Thy blooming glories shine confest! 

4 Aloft, full beaming, reigns the sun, 
And light and genial heat conveys; 
And, while he leads the seasons on. 
From thee derives his quickVmg rays. 

5 Around us, in the teeming field. 
Stands the rich grain, or purpled vine; 
At thy command they rise, to yield 

The strengthening bread, or cheering wine. 

6 Indulgent God! from ev'ry part 
Thy plenteous blessings largely flow; 
We see — we taste — let cv'ry heart 
With grateful love and duty glow. 

88. 

Common Metre. Browne. 

All thing's made for God. 

1 RE AT first of Beings! mighty Lord 
VX Of all this mighty frame! 
Produc'd by thy creating word. 

The world from nothing came. 

2 Soon as thou gav'st the high command, 

'Twas instantly obey'd; 
And for thy pleasure all things stand 
Which by thy pow'r were made. 

3 Thy glories shine throughout the whole, 

Each part reflects thy light; 
For thee in course the planets roll, 
And day succeeds to night. 



76 The works of God celebrated. 



4f For thee the earth its product yields, 
For thee the waters flow^ 
And various plants adorn the fields, 
And trees aspiring grow. 

' 5 For thee the sun dispenses heat. 
And beams of cheering light; 
Far distant stars, in order set, 
Break thro' the shades of night. 

6 Let us, too. Lord! with zeal pursue 
This wise and noble end; 
That all we think and all we do 
May to thine honour tend. 

89. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Rejoicing in the works of God. 

1 EJOICE, ye righteous, in the Lord, 
xV This work belongs to you; 

Sing of his name, his ways, his word. 
How holy, just, and true! 

2 His mercy and his righteousness 

Let heav'n and earth proclaim; 
His works of nature and of grace 
Reveal his wondrous name, 

3 His wisdom and almighty word 

The heav'nly arches spread; 
And by the spirit of the Lord 
Their shining hosts were made. 

4 He bade the liquid waters flow 

To their appointed deep; 



The works of God celebrated. 77 



The flowing seas their limits know. 
And their own station keep. 

5 Ye tenants of the spacious earth, 

With fear before him stand: 
He spake, and nature took its birth, 
And rests on his command. 

6 Thy glorious works our thoughts engage; 

How vast thy powV divine! 
Thy counsels stand thro' evVy age, 
And in full glory shine. 

90. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The wisdom of God in his works. 

1 O ONGS of immortal praise belong 
^ To my almighty God; 

He has my heart, and he my tongue, 
To spread his name abroad. 

2 How great the works his hand hath wrought, 

How glorious in our sight! 
And men in ev'ry age have sought 
His wonders with delight. 

3 How most exact is nature's frame! 

How wise th' Eternal Mind! 
His counsels never change the scheme 
That his first thoughts designed. 

4 Nature and time,^nd earth and skies, 

Thy heav'nly skill proclaim; 
What shall we do to make us wise, 
But learn to know thy name? 
G2 



78 The works of God celebrated. 



5 To fear thy pow'r, to trust thy grace, 
Is our divinest skill; 
And he's the wisest of our race, 
That be^t obeys thy wilK 



PART IV. 



Perfections of God. 



91. 



Common Metre. Watts. 

The divine glories above our reason^ 

1 /^UR reason stretches all its wingSj 
\J And soars above the skies; 

But still how far beneath thy feet 
Our grov'ling reason lies! 

2 Lord! here we bend our humble souls, 

And awfully adore: 
For the weak pinions of the mind 
Can urge their flight no more. 

3 Thy glories infinitely rise 

Above our labVing tongue; 
In vain the highest seraph tries 
To form an equal song. 

4 In humble notes our faith adores 

The great eternal King; 
While angels strain their nobler pow'rs. 
And sweep th' immortal string. 



1 AN creatures to perfection find 
Th' eternal, uncreated Mind? 





80 



Perfections of God. 



Or can the largest stretch of thought 
Measure and search his nature out? 

2 His sov'reign pow'r what mortal knows? 
If he command, who dare oppose? 

The beamings of his piercing sight 
Bring dark hypocrisy to light. 

3 Great God! thy glories shall employ 
My holy fear, my humble joj ; 

My lips, in songs of honour, bring 
Their tribute to th' eternal King. 

4 O tell me with a gentle voice, 
Thou art my God! and I'll rejoice: 
Sustained by thee, I'll still proclaim 
*^he matchless honours of thy name. 

93. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

The incomprehensible nature of God. 

1 OD is a King of powV unknown; 
xjr Firm are the orders of his throne: 
If he resolve, who dare oppose. 

Or ask him why, or what, he does? 

2 He wounds the heart, and he makes whole; 
He calms the tempest of the soul: 
When he shuts up in long despair, 

Who can remove the heavy bar? 

3 He frowns, and darkness veils the moon; 
The fainting sun grows dim at noon; 
The pillars of heav'n's starry roof 
Tremble and start at his reproof. 



Perfections of God. 81 



4 He gave the vaulted heav'n its form, 
The crooked serpent and the worm; 
He breaks the billows with his breath, 
And smites the sons of pride to death. 

5 These are a portion of his ways — 
But who can utter all his praise? 
Who can endure his light, or stand 
To hear the thunders of his hand? 

94. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

God invisible. 

1 /^UR pow'rs, great God! are too confin'd 

To reach thy infinite abode: 
O 'tis beyond a creature's mind. 
To raise a single thought to God. 

2 The Lord of glory builds his seat 
Of gems superlatively bright; 

And spreads, beneath his sacred feet. 
Thick clouds, and shades of gloomy night. 

5 Yet, Lord! thy penetrating eyes 

• Look through, and cheer us from above: 

Beyond our praise thy grandeur flies:— 

Yet we adore, and yet we love. 

95. 

Long Metre. Kippis. 

To the unknown God. 

1 RE AT God! in vain man's narrow view 
Vjr Attempts to look thy nature through; 



82 



Perfections of God. 



Our laboring powVs with revVence own 
Thy glories never can be known. 

2 Not the high seraph's mighty thought. 
Who countless years his God has sought. 
Such wondrous height or depth can find. 
Or fully trace thy boundless mind. 

3 Yet, Lord! thy kindness deigns to show 
Enough for mortal minds to know; 
While wisdom, goodness, pow'r divine, 
Thro' all thy works and conduct shine. 

4 O! may our souls with rapture trace 
Thy works of nature and of grace, 
Explore thy sacred name, and still 
Press on to know and do thy will ! 

96. 

Long Metre. Browne. 
The One God. 

1 Tj^TERNAL God! Almighty cause 
X-J Of earth, and seas, and worlds un- 
known! 

All things are subject to thy laws; 
All things depend on thee alone. 

2 Thy glorious being singly stands, 
Of all within itself possest; 

By none control'd in thy commands. 
And in thyself completely blest. 

3 To thee, the One Supreme, we bow; 
Let heav'n and earth due homage pay :. 



Perfections of God. 



All other gods we disavow, 
iMA, Reject their claims, renounce their sway. 



All idol deities dethrone: 
Subdue the world to thy command, 
And reign unrival'd, God alone ! 



Common Metre. Liverpool Collection. 

The power of God. 
1 ^nnWAS God who hurl'd the rolling 



And stretch'd the boundless skies; 
Who formM the plan of endless years, 
And bade the ages rise. 

2 Eternal is his pow'r and might, 

Immense and unconfin'd: 
He pierces through the realms of light, 
And rides upon the wind. 

3 He darts along the burning skies; 

Loud thunders round him roar: 
All heav'n attends him as he flies. 
All hell proclaims his pow'r. 

4 He speaks, and nature's wheels stand still; 

They cease their wonted round: 
The mountains melt \ the trembling hills 
Forsake their ancient bound: 

5 He scatters nations with his bfeath; 

The scattered nations fly: 



4 Spread thy great name thro' 



ev'ry land, 



97. 




spheres. 



84 Perfections of God. 



Blue pestilence, and wasting death, 
Confess the Godhead nigh. 

6 Ye worlds, with every living thing, 
Fulfil his high command: 
Mortals, pay homage to your King, 
And own his ruling hand. 

98. 

Proper Metre. Merrick. 

The divine majesty and power. 

1 O ING, ye sons of might, O sing 
O Praise to heav'n's eternal King: 
Pow'r and strength to him assign, 
Bow before his hallo w'd shrine. 

2 Hark! his voice in thunder breaks; 
Hush'd to silence while he speaks. 
Ocean's waves from pole to pole 
Hear the awful accents roll. 

3 Now the bursting clouds give way, 
And the vivid lightnings play; 
And the wilds, by man untrod. 
Hear, dismayM, th' approaching GoD. 

4 He the swelling surge commands; 
Fix'd his throne for ever stands; 
He his people shall increase. 
And with safety crown, and peace* 



Perfections of God. 



85 



99. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The same subject. 

1 I VE to the Lord, ye sons of fame, 
vX Give to the Lord renown and powV; 
Ascribe due honours to his name, 

And his eternal might adore. 

2 The Lord proclaims his pow'r aloud, 
O'er the vast ocean and the land; 
His voice divides the wat'ry cloud, 
And lightnings blaze at his command. 

3 He speaks, and howling tempests rise, 
And lay the forest bare around; 

The fiercest beasts with piteous cries, 
Confess the terror of the sound. 

4 His thunders rend the vaulted skies, 
And palaces and temples shake; 
The mountains tremble at the noise, 
The valleys roar, the deserts quake. 

5 The Lord sits SovVeign o'er the flood; 
The Thund'rer reigns for ever King; 
But makes his church his blest abode, 
Where we his awful glories sing. 

6 We see no terrors in his name. 
But in our God a Father find: 
Th« voice thai shakes all nature's frame. 
Speaks comfort to the pious mind. 



H 



86 



Perfections of God, 



100. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The glory of God. 

GOD is a name my soul adores, 
* Th' Almighty, the Eternal One; 
Nature and grace, with all their powVs, 
Confess the Infinite unknown. 

Thy voice produced the seas and spheresJ 
Bade planets roll, and suns to shine: 
But nothing like thyself appears. 
Through all these spacious works of thineJ 

Still restless nature dies and grows; 
From change to change the creatures run: 
Thy being no succession knows, 
And all thy vast designs are one. 

Thrones and dominions round thee fall, 
And worship in submissive forms; 
Thy presence shakes this lower ball. 
This humble dwelling-place of worms. 



101. 

Long Metre. Pope's Collection. 

The majesty and glory of God. 

YE sons of men, in sacred lays, 
Attempt the great Creator's praise 
But who an equal song can frame? 
What verse can reach the lofty theme? 



^ Perfections of God. 87 

5 He sits enthroned amidst the spheres, 
And glory like a garment wears; 
While boundless wisdom, pow'r and grace, 
Command our awe, transcend our praise* 

3 Before his throne a shining band 
Of cherubs and of seraphs stand; 
Ethereal spirits, who in flight 
Outstrip the rapid speed of light. 

4 To God all nature owes its birth. 

He formM this pond'rous globe of earth; 
He raisM the glorious arch on high, 
And measured out the azure sky. 

$ In all our Maker's grand designs. 
Omnipotence with wisdom shines; 
His works, thro' all this wondrous frame, 
Bear the great impress of his name» 

6 Rais'd on devotion's lofty wing. 
Let us his high perfections sing: 

O let his praise employ our tongue, 
Whilst list'ning worlds applaud the songJ 

102. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

The majesty and condescension of God. 

1 "XT' E servants of th' Almighty King, 

X In ev'ry age his praises sing; 
Where'er the sun shall rise or set. 
The nations shall his praise repeat. 

2 Above the earth, beyond the sky, 
Stands his high throne of majesty; 



88 Perfections of God. 



Nor time, nor place, his pow'r restrain^ 
Nor bound his universal reign. 

3 Which of the sons of Adam dare, 
Or angels, with their God compare? 
His glories how divinely bright. 
Who dwells in uncreated light! 

4 Behold his love! he stoops to view 
What saints above and angels do; 
And condescends yet more, to know 
The mean affairs of men below. 

103. 

Common Metre. Edinburgh Collectiok* 

The condescension of God. 

1 A MIDSTtheheav^nlypowVs sublime, 

God's throne is fix'd on high; 
And through eternity he hears 
The praises of the sky. 

2 Yet, looking down, he visits oft 

The humble, hallow'd cell; 
And with the penitent who mourns, 
'Tis his delight to dwell: 

3 The downcast spirit to revive, 

The sorrowful to cheer; 
And from the bed of dust, the man 
Of contrite heart to rear. 

4 With him dwells no relentless wrath 

Against the human race: 
The souls which he has formed, shall find 
A refuge in his grac«. 



Perfections of God» 80 



104. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

The condescension of God to human affairs* 

1 ^ I ^H' Almighty stoops to view the skies, 

X And bows to see what angels do; 
Yet down to earth directs his eyes, 
And bends his footsteps downwards too* 

2 He over-rules all human things, 
And manages our mean affairs: 
On humble souls the King of kings 
Bestows his counsels and his cares. 

3 In vain might earthly monarchs try 
Such condescending schemes to plan; 
For man was never rais'd so high 
Above his meanest fellow-man. 

4 O could our thankful hearts devise 
A tribute equal to thy grace. 

To heav'n our grateful songs should rise, 
And listening angels learn thy praise. 

105. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

The majesty of God. 

1 "VT^E weak inhabitants of clay, 
X Ye trifling insects of a day. 
Low in your native dust bow down 
Before tV Eternal's awful throne. 
H2 



90 Perfections of God. 

2 Loud let ten thousand trumpets sound, 
And call remotest nations round; 
Assembled on the crowded plains, 
Princes and people, kings and swains* 

3 Join'd with the living, let the dead, 
Rising, the face of earth o'erspreadj 
And, while his praise unites their tongues. 
Let angels echo back the songs. 

4 The drop that from the bucket falls, 
The dust that hangs upon the scales, 
Is more to sky, and earth, and sea. 
Than all this pomp, great God! to thee. 

106. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The eternity of God. 

RISE, rise, my soul, & leave the ground^ 
Stretch all thy thoughts abroad; 
And rouse up ev'ry tuneful sound, 
To praise th' Eternal God. 

Long e'er the lofty skies were spread, 

Jehovah fiU'd his throne; 
Or man was formM, or angels made, 

The self-existent One. 

Thy years, O Lord! can ne'er decrease, 
But still maintain their prime; 

Eternity's thy dwelling place, 
And Ever is thy time. 

While like a tide our minutes flow. 
The present and the past, 



Perfections of God. 91 



Cod fills his own immortal Now, 
And sees our ages waste. 

107. 

Long Metre. Salisbury Collection. 
God eternal and unchangeable. 

1 A LL-pow'rful, self-existent God^ 
XjL Who all creation dost sustain! 
Thou wast, and art, and art to come, 
And everlasting is thy reign! 

2 Fix'd and eternal as thy days, 
Each glorious attribute divine, 
Thro' ages infinite, shall still 
With undiminished lustre shine. 

S Fountain of being! Source of good! 
Immutable thou dost remain; 
Nor can the shadow of a change 
Obscure the glories of thy reign. 

4 Nature her order shall reverse. 
Revolving seasons cease their round; 
Nor spring appear with blooming pride, 
Nor autumn be with plenty crown'd; 

5 Yon shining orbs forget their course, 
The sun his destin'd path forsake, 
And burning desolation mark 
Amid the worlds his devious track. 

6 Earth may with all her powVs dissolve. 
If such the great Creator's will: 

But thou for ever art the same, 
1 Am is thy memorial still. 



92 Perfections of God. 

108. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Rowe. 

The eternity and immutability of God. 

1 npHOU didst, O mighty God! exist 

X Ere time began his race; 
Before the ample elements 
Fill'd up the voids of space. 

2 Before the ponderous earthly globe 

In fluid air was stay'd; 
Before the ocean's mighty springs 
Their liquid stores displayed: 

3 Ere thro' the gloom of ancient night 

The streaks of light appeared; 
Before the high celestial arch 
Or starry poles were rear'd: 

4 Before the bright, harmonious spheres 

Their glorious rounds begun; 
Before the shining roads of heav'n 
Were measured by the sun: 

5 Ere men ador'd, or angels knew, 

Or prais'd thy wondrous name; 
Thy bliss, eternal Spring of life! 
And glory was the same. 

6 And when the pillars of the world 

With sudden ruin break. 
And all this vast and goodly frame 
Sinks in the mighty wreck: 

7 When from her orb the moon shall start, 

Th' astonish'd suti roll back, 



Perfections of God. 93 

While all the trembling starry lamps 
Their ancient course forsake: 

8 For ever, permanent and fix'd, 
Fcom interruption free; 
Unchanged in everlasting years, 
Shall thy existence be. 

109. 

Proper Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 
God the eternal sovereign. 

1 nr^HIS earthly globe, the creature of a 

X day, 
Tho' built by God's right hand, must pass 
away; 

^nd long oblivion creep o'er mortal 
things. 

The fate of empires, and the pride of 
kings; 

Eternal night shall veil their proudest story. 
And drop the curtain o'er all human glory. 

2 The sun himself, with gathering clouds 

opprest, 

Shall, in his silent dark pavilion, rest; 
His golden urn shall break, and useless 
lie. 

Amidst the common ruins of the sky; 
The stars rush headlong in the wild com- 
motion, 

And bathe their glitt'ring foreheads in the 
ocean. 



94 Perfections of God. 



3 But fixM, O God! for ever stands thjr 

throne; 

Jehovah reigns, a universe alone: 

Th' eternal fire that feeds each vital 
fiame, 

Collected, or difFusM, is still the same: 
He dwells within his own unfathom'd 
essence, 

And fills all space with his unbounded pre- 
sence. 

4 But oh! our highest notes the theme debase, 
And silence is our least injurious praise: 

Cease, cease your songs, the daring flight 
y control; 

Revere him in the stillness of the soul: 
With silent duty meekly bend before him, 
And deep within your inmost hearts adore 
him. 



110. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The all-seeing God. 

1 T ORD! thou hast searched and seen me 
■ 1 A through; 

Thine eye commands, with piercing view, 

My rising and my resting hours. 

My heart and flesh with all their powVs. 

2 Within thy circling pow'r I standj 
On evVy side 1 find thy hand: 



Perfections of God. ' 95 



Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, 
I am surrounded still with God. 

3 My thoughts, before they are my own, 
Are to my God distinctly known: 
He knows the words I mean to speak. 
Ere from my op'ning lips they break. 

4 Amazing knowledge! vast and great! 
What large extent! what lofty height! 
My soul, with all the powVs I boast, 
Is in the boundless prospect lost. 

5 O may these thoughts possess my breast. 
Where'er I rove, where'er I rest: 

Nor let my weaker passions dare 
Consent to sin — for God is there! 

111. 

Common Metre. Arbuckle. 

Universal presence of Govi* 

1 l\/r Y heart and all my ways, O God! 
JLVX By thee are searched and seen; 
My outward acts thine eye observes, 

My secret thoughts within. 

2 Attendant on my steps, all day 

Thy providence 1 see; 
And in the solitude of night 
Pm present still with thee. 

5 No spot the boundless realms of space, 
Whence thou art absent, know; 



96 Perfections of God. 



In heav'n thou reign'st a glorious King, 
An awful Judge below. 

4 Lord! if within my thoughtless heart 

Thou aught should'st disapprove, 
The secret evil bring to light, 
And by thy grace remove. 

5 If e'er my ways have been p^rverse^ 

Or foolish in thy view, 
Recall my steps to thy commands, 
And form my life anew. 

V ■ 112. \: i 

Long Metre. Blacklock. 
God's omniscience and omnipresence* 

1 Tj^ ATHER of ail! omniscient mind! 
Jl Thy wisdom who can comprehend? 
Its highest point what eye can find. 

Or to its lowest depths descend? 

2 What cavern deep, what hill sublime. 
Beyond thy reach, shall I pursue? 
What dark recess, what distant clime. 
Shall hide me from thy boundless view? 

3 If up to heav'n's ethereal height, 
Thy prospect to elude, I rise; 

In splendor there, supremely bright, 
Thy presence shall my sight surprise. 

4 Thee, mighty God! my wondVing soul, 
Thee, all her conscious pow'rs adore; 
Whose being circumscribes the whole. 
Whose eyes the universe explore. 



Perfections of God. 



5 Thine essence fills this breathing frame, 
It glows in every vital part; 

Lights up my soul with livelier flame, 
And feeds with life my beating heart. 

6 To thee, from whom my being came, 
Whose smile is all the heav'n I know. 
Inspired with this exalted theme, 

To thee my grateful strains shall flow. 

113. 

The ways of the righteous known to God. 

1 nr^O thee, my God! my days are known; 

jL My soul enjoys the thought; 
My actions all before thee lie. 
Nor are my wants forgot. 

2 Each secret wish devotion breathes, 

Is vocal to thine ear; 
And all my walks of daily life 
Before thine eye appear. 

3 The vacant hour, the active scene. 

Thy mercy shall approve; 
And evVy pang of sympathy, 
And ev'ry care of love. 

4 Each golden hour of beaming light 

Is gilded by thy rays; 
And dark affliction's midnight gloom 
A present God surveys. 



I 



98 Perfections of God. 



5 Full in thy view thro' life I pass, 
And in thy view I die: 
Lord, when all mortal bonds shall break, 
May I still find thee nigh! 

114. 

Short Metre. Watts. 

The holiness of God. 

1 nnHE God Jehovah reigns! 

JL Let all the nations fear: 
Let sinners trenable at his throne, 
And saints be humble there. 

2 Eternal is his throne; 
His honours are divine: 

His church shall make his wonders known, 
For there his glories shine. 

3 How holy is his name! 
How awful is his praise! 

Justice and truth, and judgment join 
In all his works of grace. 

\yii5. 

Common Metre. Browne. 
Universal goodness of God. 
1 T ORD! thou art good; all nature shows 
-Li Its mighty author kind: 
I'hy bounty through creation flows^ 
Fuji, free, and unconfin'd. 



Perfections of God. 99 



2 The whole, and ev'ry part proclaims 

Thy infinite good will; 
It shines in stars, and flows in streams, 
And bursts from ev'ry hill. 

3 We view it o'er the spreading main, 

And heav'ns which spread more wide; 
It drops in gentle show'rs of rain, 
And rolls in ev'ry tide. 

4 Long hath it been difFusM abroad, 

Thro' ages past and gone; 
Nor ever can exhausted be, 
But still keeps flowing on. 

5 Thro' the whole earth it pours supplies, 

Spreads joy thro' ev'ry part: 
O may such love attract my eyes. 

And captivate my heart! 

* 

6 My highest admiration raise. 

My best affections move! 
Employ my tongue in songs of praise, 
And fill my heart with love! 



116. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

The divine goodness. 

1 T^RIUMPHANT, Lord! thy good- 
A ness reigns 

Through all the wide celestial plains; 



iOO Perfections of God. 

And its full streams redundant flow, 
Down to th' abodes of men below. 

2 Thro' nature's works thy glories shine; 
The cares of providence are thine: 
And thou hast rais'd within our frame 
A fairer temple to thy name, 

3 O give to ev'ry human heart, 

To taste, and feel how good thou art; 
With grateful love, and rev'rent fear, 
To know how blest thy children are. 

4 Let nature burst into a song: 

Ye echoing hills the notes prolong ! 
Earth, seas, and stars, your anthenis raise 
All vocal with your Maker's praise! 

5 Join, O my soul] the genVal song. 
To thee its sweetest notes belong; 
Blest above all by love divine, 
To praise is eminently thine. 

117. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
God adored for his goodness. 

1 '\7E sons of men! with joy record 

X The various wonders of the Lord; 
And let his powV and goodness sound. 
Thro' all your tribes, the earth around. 

2 Let the high heav'ns your songs invite, 
Those spacious fields of brilliant light; 



Perfections of God. 101 



Where sun, and moon, and planets roll, 
And stars, that glow from pole to pole. 

3 Sing earth, in verdant robes array'd, 

Its herbs and flow'rs, its fruit and shade, 
Peopled with life its regions wide, 
Life, from its plenteous stores supply'd. 

4 View the broad sea's majestic plain, 
And sing its Maker's boundless reign: 
That band remotest nations joins, 
And on each wave his goodness shines. 

5 But O! that brighter world above. 
Where lives and reigns eternal love! 
Thither, my soul! with rapture soar, 
There, in the land of praise, adore. 

118. 

Proper Metre. Fawcett. 

Delighting^ in divine goodness* 

1 T) ARE NT of good! thy works of might 
JL I trace with wonder and delight; 

Thy name is all divine: 
There's nought in earth, or sea, or air. 
Or heav'n itself that's good or fair. 

But is entirely thine. 

2 Immensely high thy glories rise, 

They strike my soul with sweet surprise^ 

And sacred pleasure yield; 
An ocean wide without a bound. 
Where ev'ry noble wish is drown'd, 
And ev^ry want is fill'd. 
12 



102 Perfections of God. 



3 To thee my warm affections move, 
In sweet astonishment and love, 

While at thy feet I fall; 
I pant for nought beneath the skies., 
To thee my ardent wishes rise, 

O my eternal All! 

4 What shall I do to spread thy praise, 
My God! thro' my remaining days, 

Or how thy name adore ? 
To thee I consecrate my breath. 
Let me be thine in life and death. 

And thine for evermore. 

119. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

The peculiar goodness of God to his people. 

1 /^UR souls with pleasing wonder view 
\J The bounties of thy grace; 

How much bestow'd, how much reservM 
For those that seek thy face. 

2 Thylib'ral hand with worldly bliss 

Oft makes their cup run o'er; 
And in the covenant of thy love 
They find diviner store. 

3 Here mercy hides their numerous sins. 

Here grace their souls renews; 
Here hope, and love, and joy, and peace 
Their heav'nly beams diffuse. 



Perfections of God* 



103 



4- But O! what treasures yet unknown 
Are lodged in worlds to come! 
If these th' enjoyments of the way, 
How happy is their home! 

5 And what shall mortal worms reply? 

Or how such goodness own? 
But 'tis our joy, that, Lord! to thee 
Thy servants' hearts are known. 

6 Since time's too short, all-gracious God! 

To utter half thy praise; 
Loud, to the honour of thy name, 
Eternal hymns we'll raise. 

120. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
God hearing prayer. 

1 T ET ev'ry tongue thy goodness speak, 
jLj Thou sov'reign Lord of all! 
Thy strength'ning hands uphold the weak 

And raise the poor that fall. 

2 When sorrows bow the spirit down, 

Or virtue lies distrest 
Beneath some proud oppressor's frown 
Thou giv'st the mourners rest, 

3 The Lord supports our tott'ring days 
And guides our giddy youth: 

Holy and just are all his ways. 
And all his words are truth. 



104 Perfections of God. 

4i He knows the pain his servants feel, 
He hears his children cry; 
And their best wishes to fulfil, 
His grace is ever nigh. 

5 His mercy never will remove 

From men of heart sincere: 
He saves the souls, whose humble love 
Is join'd with hol}^ fear. 

6 My lips shall dwell upon his praise, 

And sound his name abroad: 
Let all the sons of Adam raise 
The honours of their God. 

121. 

Proper Metre. Doddridge. 

Proclamation of God's name to Moses. 

ATTEND, my soul, the voice divine, 
And mark what beaming glories shine 
Around thy condescending God; 
To us, to us, he still proclaims 
His awful, his endearing names; 

Attend, and sound them all abroad. 

" Jehovah I, the sovereign Lord, 
The mighty God, by heav'n ador'd, 

Down to the earth my footsteps bend: 
My heart the tend'rest pity knows, 
Goodness, full-streaming, wide overflows 
And grace and truth shall never end." 



Perfections of God. 



105 



^' My patience long can crimes endure; 
My pard'ning love is ever sure, 

When penitential sorrow mourns; 
To millions, through unnumber'd years, 
New hope and new delight it bears; 

Yet wrath against the sinner burns.'' 

4 Make haste, my soul, the vision meet, 
All prostrate at thy sovereign's feet. 

And drink the tuneful accents in; 
Speak on, my Lord, repeat the \oice. 
Diffuse these heart-expanding joys. 

Till heav'ti complete the rapc'rous 
scene# 

122. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The goodness and mercy of God. 

1 O WEET is the mem'ry of thy grace, 
O O God, my heav'nly King! 

Let age to age thy righteousness 
In sounds of glory sing. 

2 God reigns on high, but not confines 

His goodness to the ski-s; 
Thro' the whole earth his bounty shines., 
And ev'ry want supplies. 

3 With longing eyes, thy creatures wait 

On thee for daily food; 
Thy lib'ral hand provides their meat. 
And fills their mouths with good. 



106 



Perfections of God. 



4 How kind are thy compassions, Lord! 

How slow thine anger moves! 
But soon he sends his pard'ning word, 
To cheer the souls he loves. 

5 Creatures, with all their endless race. 

Thy pow'r and praise proclaim; 
But saints, who taste thy richer grace, 
Delight to bless thy name. 



123. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

The same subject. 

1 'THHE praises of my God, my King, 

jL While I have life or breath to sing, 
Shall fill my heart, and tune my tongue, 
Till heav'n improve the blissful song. 

2 No more in princes vainly trust. 
Frail sons of earth! man is but dust; 
With all his pride, with all his pow'r. 
The helpless creature of an hour. 

3 Happy the man whose hopes divine 
On Israel's guardian God recline! 
Who can with sacred transport say. 
This God is mine, my help, my stay! 

4 His justice favours them who moWn 
Beneath the proud oppressor's scorn; 
The hungry poor his hand sustains. 
And breaks the wretched captive's chains, 



Perfections of God. 107 



5 To sightless eyes, long clos'd in night, 
His touch restores the joys of light; 
Poor mourners rais'd confess his care; 
He loves the humble and sincere. 

6 If wand'ring strangers friendless roam, 
Divine protection is their home: 

The Lord relieves the widow's cares, 
And dries the weeping orphan's tears. 



X might, 
With uncreated glories bright! 
His presence gilds the worlds above, 
Th* unchanging Source of light and love, 

2 Our rising earth his eye beheld. 
When in substantial darkness veiPd; 
The shapeless chaos, nature's womb, 
Lay buried in eternal gloom. 

3 Let there be lights Jehovah said; 
And light o'er all its face was spread; 
Nature, array'd in charms unknown. 
Gay with its new-born lustre, shone. 

4. He sees the mind, when lost it lies 
In shades of ignorance and vice; 
And darts from heav'n a vivid ray, 
And changes midnight into day. 





to the Lord of boundless 



108 



Perfections of God. 



5 Shine, mighty God! with vigour shine 
^ On this benighted heart of mine; 

I ^ There be thy brighter beams reveal'd, 
I As in the Saviour's face beheld. 

6 Thine image, on my soul impress'd, 
In radiant lines shall stand confess'd; 
While all my faculties unite 

To praise the Lord, who gives me light* 

125. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

The divine mercy and truth* 

1 ^TOW to the Lord, a joyful song! 
Jl.^ Awake, my soul! awake, my tonguel 
Hosanna to tV Eternal Name, 

And all his boundless love proclaim! 

2 The spacious earth, and spreading flood, 
Proclaim the wise and powerful God; 
And his rich glories from afar 
Sparkle in ev'ry rolling star. 

3 For ever shall my song record 
The truth and mercy of the Lord; 
Mercy and truth for ever stand. 
Like heav'n, established by his hand. 

4 Great God! on us thy blessings show'r. 
Let man's whole race revere thy powV; 
And, thankful, to their wond'ring eyes, 
Behold thy wish'd salvation rise. 



Perfections of God. lOp 



126. 

Common Metre. Watts, 
The faithfulness of Go n» 

MY never-ceasing songs shall show 
The mercies of the Lord; 
And make succeeding ages know 
How faithful is his word. 

2 The sacred truths his lips pronounce, 

Shall firm as heav'n endure: 
And if he speak a promise once, 
Th' eternal grace is sure. 

3 How long the race of David held 

The promised Jewish throne! 
But there's a nobler covenant sealed 
By David's. greater Son. 

4 His seed for ever shall possess 

A throne above the skies: 
The meanest subject of his grace 
Shall to that glory rise. 

5 Lord God of hosts! thy wondrous ways 

Are sung by saints abovei 
And saints on earth their honours raise 
To thy unchanging love. 

127. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

God ever to be praised. 

1 TV/r Y God! my King! thy various praise 
iVX Shall fill the remnant of my days; 
K 



110 Perfections of God. 



Thy grace employ my humble tonguej 
Till death and glory raise the song. 

2 The wings of ev'ry Lour shall bear 
Some thankful tribute to thine ear; 
And ev'ry setting sun shall see 
New works of duty done for thee. 

3 Thy truth and justice Til proclaim: 
Thy bounty flows, an endless stream; 
Thy mercy swift, thine anger slow, 
But dreadful to the stubborn foe. 

4 Thy works with boundless glory shine, 
And speak thy majesty divine; 

Let land to land aloud proclaim 
The matchless honours of thy name. 

5 Let distant times and nations raise 
The long succession of thy praise; 
And unborn ages make my song 
The joy and labour of their tongue. 

6 But who can speak thy wondrous deeds? 
Thy greatness all our thoughts exceeds; 
Vast and unsearchable thy ways! 

Vast and immortal be thy praise! 

128. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The greatness and goodness of God. 

1 T ONG as I live, I'll bless thy name, 
JLj God of eternal love! 



Perfections of God. 



1 



My work and joy shall be the same, 
In the bright world above. 

2 Gn at is the Lord, his powV unknown; 

And let his praise be great: 
I'll sing the honours of thy throne, 
Thy works of grace repeat* 

3 Thy grace shall dwell upon my tongue; 

And while my lips rejoice, 
The men that hear my sacred song 
Shall join their cheerful voice. 

4 Fathers to sons shall teach thy name, 

And children learn thy ways; 
Ages to come thy truth proclaim. 
And nations sound thy praise. 

5 Thy glorious deeds of ancient date 

Shall thro' the^wrrldbe known: 
Thine arm of powV, thy heavVdy state, 
With public splendour shown. 

6 The world is managM by thy hands, 

Thy saints are xul'd by love; 
And thine eternal kingdom stands, 
Tho' rocks and hills remove. 

129. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

The perfections and providence of God. 

1 T TIGH in the heav'ns, eternal God! 
XJL Thy goodness in full glory shines; 



1 12 Perfections of God* 



Thy truth shall break thro' ev'ry cloud 
That veils and darkens thy designs. 

2 For ever firm thy justice stands, 

As mountains their 'foundations keep; 
Wise are the wonders of thy hands; 
Thy judgments are a mighty deep. 

3 Thy providence is kind and large; 
Both man and beast thy bounty share: 
The whole creation is thy charge, 
But saints are thy peculiar care. 

4 My God! how excellent thy grace, 
Whence all our hope and comfort springs 
The sons of Adam in distress, 

Fly to the shadow of thy wings. 

5 From the provisions of thy house, 
We shall be fed with sweet repast; 
There mercy like a river flows. 
And brings salvation to our taste. 

6 Life, like a fountain rich and free, 
Springs from the presence of the Lord; 
And in his light our souls shall see 
The glories promised in his word. 



PART V. 



Government and providence of God. 

130. 

Common Metre. Jervis. 

The beings omnipresence^ and providence of 
God. 

1 RE AT God, how vast is thine abode! 
VT Mysterious are thy ways! 
Unseen, thy footsteps in the air, 

And trackless in the seas. 

2 Yet the whole peopl'd world bespeaks 

Thy being and thy powV, 
'Midst the resplendent blaze of day, 
And awful midnight hour. 

3 Nor all the peopl'd world alone. 

Rich fields and verdant plains, 
But lonely wilds by man un.rod, 
Where silent horror reigns. 

4 Tempests and storms that sweep the sky, 

And cataracts sublime; 
Volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, 
That waste the torrid clime; 

5 Vast caverns deep, and cLaid ■ p^. hills, 

Huge mountains rude and hare. 
Terrific rocks and swelling waves— 
Thy grandeur all declare. 

K2 



114 Government and 



6 Through all creation's widest range 
The hand of heav'n is near: 
Where'er I wander in the world, 
Lo! God is present there, 

131. 

Long Metre. Watts, 

The divine nature^ providence^ a?id grace* 

1 T) RAISE ye the LoRD/tis good to raise 
JL Our hearts and voices in his praise: 
His nature and his works invite ^^-^^^^^ 
To make this duty our delight. 

2 Great is the Lord! and great his might, 
And all his glories infinite: 

His wisdom's vast, and knows no bound, 
A deep where all our thoughts are drown'd. 

3 He loves the meek, rewards the just, 
Humbles the wicked in the dust. 
Melts and subdues the stubborn soul, 
And makes the broken spirit whole. 

4 His saints are precious in his sight; 
He views his children with delight; 

He sees their hope, he knows their fear, 
Approves, and loves his image there. 



Providence of God, 1 



132. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Fore-knowledge and providence of God. 

1 T ET the whole race of creatures lie 
JLi Abas'd before the Lord! 
Whatever his powerful hand has form'd, 

He governs with a word. 

2 Ten thousand ages ere the skies 

Were into motion brought; 
All the long years and worlds to come, 
Stood present to his thought. 

3 There's not a sparrow, or a worm, 

O'crlook'd in his decrees: 
He raises monarchs to a throne, 
Or sinks with equal ease. 

4 If light attend the course I go, 

'Tis he provides the rays; 
And 'tis his hand that hides the sun, 
If darkness cloud my days. 

5 Trusting his wisdom and his love, 

I would not wish to know 
What in the book of his decrees 
Awaits me here below. 

6 Be this alone my fervent prayV, 

Whatever my lot shall be: 
Or joys or sorrows, may they form 
My soul for heav'n, and thee! 



116 Government and 



133. 

Short Metre. Watts 
God's universal dominion. 

1 nP'HE Lord, the sovereign King, 

X Hath fix'cl his throne on high; 
O'er all the heav'nly world he rules, 
And all beneath the sky. 

2 Ye angels, great in might, 
And swift to do his will! 

Bless ye the Lord, whose voice ye hear, 
Whose pleasure ye fulfil. 

3 While all his wondrous works 
Thro' his vast kingdom, show 

Their Maker's glory, thou, my soulf 
Shalt sing his praises too. 

134. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
God's eternal dofninion* 

1 REAT God! how infinite art thou! 
VT How frail and helpless we! 

Let the whole race of creatures bow, 
And pay their praise to thee. 

2 Thy throne eternal ages stood. 

E'er seas or stars were made; 
Thou art the everliving God, 
Were all the nations dead. 



Providence of God. 117 

3 Nature and time all open lie 

To thine immense survey. 
From the formation of the sky, 
To the last awful day. 

4 Eternity, with all its years. 

Stands present to thy view; 
To thee there's nothing old appears, 
Great God! there's nothing new. 

5 Our lives thro' various scenes are drawn, 

And vex'd with trifling cares. 
While thine eternal thought moves on, 
Thine undisturb'd affairs. 

6 Great God! how infinite art thou! 

How frail and helpless we! 
Let the whole race of creatures bow. 
And pay their praise to thee. 

135. 

Proper Metre. Doddridge. 

GoWs government Zion^s joy. 




E subjects of the Lord, proclaim 
The royal honours of his name; 



* Jehovah reigns,' be all your song. 
'Tis he thy God, O Zion, reigns. 
Prepare thy most harmonious strains. 

Glad hallelujahs to prolong. 

2 Ye princes, boast no more your crown. 
But lay the glittering trifle down 
In lowly honour at his feet; 



118 Government and 



A span your narrow empire bounds; 
He reigns beyond created rounds, 
In self-sufficient glory great* 

3 Tremble, ye pageants of a day, 
Form'd, like your slaves, of brittle clay; 

Down to the dust your sceptres bend> 
To everlasting years He reigns, 
And undiminished pomp maintains. 

When kings, and suns, and time shall 
end. 

4 So shall his favour'd Zion live; 
In vain coofed'rate nations strive 

Her sacred turrets to destroy; 
Her sovereign sits enthroned above, 
And endless pow'r^ and endless love, 
Insure her safety and her joy, 

136. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 

i Stability of the divine government. 

1 'THHE Lord of glory reigns — he reigns 
jL on high; 
His robes of state are strength and majesty; 
The universe arose at his command. 
Built by his word, and 'stablish'd by his 
hand: 

Long stood his throne ere he began creation. 
And his own godhead is the firm foundation. 



Providence of God. 



119 



2 God is th' Eternal King. Thy foes in vain 
Raise their rebellions to confound thy reign: 
In vain the storms, in vain the floods arise, 
And roar, and toss their waves against the 

skies: 

Foaming at heaven, they rage with wild com- 
motion, 

But heav'n's high arches scorn the swelling 
ocean, 

3 Ye tempests, rage no more : ye floods, be 

still; 

And the mad world submissive to his will: 
Built on his truth, his church must ever 
stand; 

Firm are his promises, and strong his hand: 
See his own sons, when they appear before 
him, 

Bow at his footstool, and with fear adore him. 



X great. 
And o'er heavVs arches builds his royal 

seat: 

Thro' worlds unknown his sovereign sway 
extends. 

Nor space nor time his boundless empire 




1 



ends: 



120 Government and 

His eye beholds th' affairs of ev'ry nation, 
And reads each thought thro' his immense 
creation. 

2 Lightnings and storms his mighty word 

obey, 

And planets roll, where he has markM their 
way: 

Unnumbered cherubs veil'd before him 
stand. 

And at his signal all their wings expand: 
His praise gives harmony to all their voices, 
And every heart thro' the full choir rejoices. 

3 Rebellious mortals, cease your tumults vain, 
Nor longer such unequal war maintain: 
Let clay with fellow-clay in combat strive. 
But dread to brave the pow'r by which you 

live: 

With contrite hearts fall prostrate and adore 
him. 

For if he frown, ye perish all before him. 

138. 

Common Metre. Needham* 
God no respepter of persons. 

1 Tj^^^ITH eye impartial, heavVs high 

Surveys each human tribe; 
No earthly pomp his eyes can charm, 
Nor wealth his favour bribe. 

2 The rich and poor, of equal clay 

His powr'ful hand did frame; 



Providence of God. 121 

All souls are his, and him alike 
Their common Parent claim. 

3 Ye sons of men of high degree, 

Your great Superior own; 
Praise him for all his gifts, and pay 
Your homage at his throne. 

4 Trust in the Lord ye humble poor, 

And banish ev'ry fear; 
The God you serve will ne'er forsake 
The man of heart sincere. 

139. 

Long Metre. ScoTt. 

Equity of the divine dispensations. 

1 Til THO, gracious Father! can complain 

V V Under thy mild and gentle reign ? 
Who does a weight of duty share, 
More than his aids and pow'rs can bear? 

2 With difFVing climes, and diffVing lands, 
With fertile plains, and barren sands. 
Thy hand hath fram'd this earthly round, 
And set each nation in its bound. 

3 So various, thy celestial ray 

Here sheds a full, there fainter day: 
The God of all, unkind to none, 
To all the path of life has shown. 

4 Large is the bounty of his hand; 
He will a large return demand: 

L 



122 Government and 



Haste, then, life's arduous work pursue, 
And keep the heavenly prize in view. 

140. 

Common Metre. Newton. 
The mystery and benignity of providence* 

1 OD moves in a mysterious way 
V-T His wonders to perform; 

He plants his footsteps in the sea, 
And rides upon the storm. 

2 Deep in unfathomable mines 

Of never-failing skill. 
He treasures up his great designs. 
And works his sovereign will. 

3 Ye fearful saints! fresh courage take: 

The clouds ye so much dread 
Are big with mercy, and will break 
In blessings on your head. 

4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 

But trust him for his grace; 
Behind a frowning providence 
. He hides a smiling face. 

5 Blind unbelief is sure to err. 

And scan his work in va^n: 
God is his own interpreter, 
And he will make it plain. 



Providence of God. 



141. 

Short Metre. Watts. 

The mystery of providence unfolded. 

1 "THHERE is a righteous God, 

JL Nor is religion vain; 
Though men of vice may boast aloud, 
And virtuous men complain. 

2 I saw the wicked rise. 
And felt my heart repine. 

While haughty fools, with scornful eyes, 
In robes of honour shine. 

3 The tumults of my thought 
Held me in deep suspense. 

Till to thy house my feet were brought 
To learn thy justice thence. 

4 Thy word, with light and powV, 
Did my mistakes amend; 

I view'd the sinners' life before. 
But here I learn| their end. ^ji^. 

5 Lord! at thy feet I bow; ^ 
My thoughts no more repine; 

I call my God my portion now. 
And all my pow'rs are thine. 



124 Government and 



142. 

Long Metre. Bristol Collection. 

The myteries of providence to be solved here- 
after. 

1 'T^HE heart, dejected, sighs to know, 

JL Why vice triumphant reigns below; 
Why saints have fall'n in evVy age, 
The victims of tyrannic rage. 

2 Fast roll successive years away; 
Fast hastens on th' important day, 
When, to th' astonished world's surprise, 
God's high tribunal shall arise. 

3 Hark! 'tis the trumpet's piercing sound; 
The rising dead assemble round; 

In close procession, see! they come. 
Each to receive his righteous doom. 

4 Lo! there, a vile, degen'rate race; 
Pale terror sits on ev'ry face: 
Here, on the right, a joyful band. 
The sons of sufF'ring virtue stand. 

5 The sentence pass'd, lo! these arise 
To bliss and glory in the skies: 

While those who once stood high in fame, 
Sink to contempt, remorse, and shame. 

6 Thus shall God's providence appear 
Without a shade, divinely fair; 

And blushing doubt, with joy, confess 
The Lord's a God of righteousness. 



Providence of God. 



125 



143. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Natural and moral providence* 

1 nnHE world of nature, Lord! is thine, 

X The darkness and the day: 
Thou didst command the morn to shine, 
And mark the sun's bright way. 

2 Thy pow'r hath tracM the winding coast, 

Hath giv'n the sea its bounds; 
With summer's heat, and winter's frost, 
In their perpetual rounds. 

3 Oh! who can stand before thy sight. 

When once thy wrath appears? 
When heav'n shall blaze with dreadful 
light, 

The earth lies still, and fears. 

4 When God, in his mysterious ways. 

Comes down to save th' opprest. 
The wrath of man shall work his praise, 
And he'll restrain the rest. 

144. 

Long Metre. Watts. , 

The universal providence of God. 

1 T TAST are thy works, almighty Lord! 
V All nature rests upon thy word! 
Thy glories in the heav'ns we see, 
The spacious earth is full of thee. 
L2 



126 Government and 



2 The various tribes of creatures stand, 
Waiting their portion from thy hand; 
And while they take their different food, 
Their cheerful looks pronounce thee good. 

3 Whene'er thy face is hid, they mourn, 
And, dying, to their dust return; 
Both man and beast their souls resign,^ 
Life, breath, and spirit, all are thine. 

4 Yet thou canst breathe on dust again. 
And fill the world with beasts and men; 
A word of thy creating breath 
Repairs the wastes of time and death. 

5 The earth stands trembling at thy stroke, 
And at thy touch the mountains smoke; 
Yet humble souls may see thy face, 
And tell their wants to sovereign grace. 

6 In thee my hopes and wishes meet. 
And make my meditations sweet: 
I, to my God, my heav'nly King, 
Immortal hallelujahs sing, 

145. 

Long Metre. Liverpool Collection. 

sa7ne subject, 

1 ^TpHE earth, and all the heav'nly frame, 
JL Their great Creator's love proclaim; 
He gives the sun his genial pow'r. 
And sends the soft refreshing show'r. 



Providende of God* 



127 



2 The ground with plenty blooms again, 
And yields her various fruits to men; 
To men, who from thy bounteous hand 
Receive the gifts of evVy land. 

3 Nor to the human race alone 

Is thy paternal goodness shown: 
The tribes of earth and sea and air 
Enjoy thy universal care. 

4 Not ev'n a sparrow yields its breath, 
Till God permit the stroke of death: 
He hears the ravens when they call, 
The Father and the Friend of all! 

\ 146. 

Long Metre. Dy^r. 

Providence acknowledged^ 

1 RE ATEST of beings, source of life, 
\J SovVeign of air, of earth, and sea! 
All nature feels thy powV, but man 
A grateful tribute pays to thee. 

5 Subject to wants, to thee he looks. 
And from thy goodness seeks supplies: 
And, when oppressed with guilt he mourns, 
Thy mercy lifts him to the skies. 

3 Children, whose little minds, unformM, 
Ne'er rais'd a tender thought to heav'n; 
And men, whom reason lifts to God, 
Tho' oft by passion downward driv'n: 



128 



Government and 



4 Those too, who bend with age and care^ 
And faint and tremble ntar the tomb; 
Who, sickening at the present scenes, 
Sigh for that better state to come: — 

5 AlU great Creator! all are thine; 
All feel thy providential care; 

And, thro' each varying scene of life, 
Alike thy constant pity share. 

"^6 And whether grief oppress the heart; 
Or whether joy elate the breast; 
Or life still keep its little course; 
Or death invite the heart to rest: — 

7 All are thy messengers, and all 
Thy sacred pleasure. Lord! obey: 
And all are training man to dwell 
Nearer to bliss, and nearer Thee. 

147. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Providence acknowledged. 

1 RE AT God! while nature speaks thy 
\J praise 

With all her num'rous tongues; 
Thy saints shall tune diviner lays, 
And love inspire their songs. 

2 Thy pow'r and grandeur they shall sing, 

The glories of thy reign; 
Thy wondVous deeds, almighty King, 
Shall fill the raptur'd strain. 



Providence of God. 129 

3 Thy kingdom, Lord! for ever stands, 

While earthly thrones decay; 
And time submits to thy commands, 
While ages roll away. 

4 To thee, O Lord! for daily meat, 

Thy creatures lift their eyes; 
On thee, their common Father wait, 
From thee receive supplies. 

5 Thy sovereign bounty freely gives 

Its unexhausted store. 
And universal nature lives 
On thy sustaining pow'r. 

6 The praise of God, delightful theme! 

Shall fill my heart and tongue; 
Let all creation bless his name, 
In one eternal song. 

148. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

The bounty of Providence improved. 

1 XT' ATHER of lights! we sing thy name^ 
X Who kindl'st up the lamp of day; 
Wide as he spreads his golden flame, 

His beams thy pow'r and love display. 

2 Fountain of good! from thee proceeds, 
In copious drops, the genial rain. 
Which thro' the hills, and thro' the meads, 
Revive the grass, and swell the grain* 



130 Government and 

3 Thro' the wide world thy bounties spread; 
Yet millions of our guilty race. 
Though by thy daily bounty fed, 
Affront thy law, reject thy grace. 

4 Not so may our forgetful hearts 
O'erlook the tokens of thy care; 
But what thy libVal hand imparts, 
Still own in praise, still ask in pray'r. 

So shall our suns more grateful shine. 
And show'rs in sweeter drops shall fall, 
When all our hearts and lives are thine, 
And thou, O God! enjoy'd in all. 

- 149. 

Short Metre. Watts. 

God'*s distinguishing goodness to man. 

1 r\ LORD! our heav'nly King! 
\J Thy name is all divine; 

Thy glories round the earth are spread, 
And o'er the heav'ns they shine. 

2 When to thy works above 
I raise my wondering eyes,^ 

And see the moon, fair queen of night, 
In peerless splendour rise; 

3 When I survey the stars 
That fill the vaulted sky. 

Lord! what is man, that he should stand 
In thy regard so high? 



Providence of God. 



131 



4 Or what the son of man, 

That thou should'st love him so? 
Next to thine angels is he plac'd, 
And lord of all below, 

5 Thine honours crown his head, 
While subject beasts obey; 

And birds that cut the air with wings, ^ 
And fish that cleave the sea. 

6 How rich thy bounties are! 
And wondVous are thy ways! 

Of dust and worms thy pow'r can frame 
A monument of praise. 

150. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The same subject. 

1 nnHY wisdom, pow'r, and goodness, 

X Lord! 

In all thy works appear; 
But most thy praise should man record, 
Man, thy distinguished care. 

2 From thee the breath of life he drew; 

That breath thy pow'r maintains; 
Thy tender mercy, ever new. 
His brittle frame sustains. 

3 Thy providence, his constant guard 

When threatening ills impend. 
Or will th' impending dangers ward, 
Or timely succours lend. 



132 Government and 



4 Yet nobler favours claim his praise, 

Of reason's light possest; 
By revelation's brighter rays 
Still more divinely blest. 

5 All bounteous Lord! thy grace import:' 

O teach me to improve 
Thy gifts with ever grateful heart, 
And crown them with thy love. 

151. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
Divine protection. 

1 T TP to the hills I lift mine eyes, 

TW eternal hills beyond the skiesj. 
Thence all her htlp my soul derives; 
There my almighty refuge lives. 

2 He lives, the everlasting God, 

That built the world, that spread the flood; 
The heav'ns, with all their hosts, he made, 
And the dark regions of the dead. 

3 He guides our feet, he guards our way; 
His morning smiles bless all the day; 
He spreads the ev'ning veil, and keeps 
The silent hours while Isr'el sleeps. 

4 His servants, thus divinely blest, 
May rise secure, securely rest; 
Their holy guardian's wakeful eyes 
Admit no slumber nor surprise. 



Providence of God. 



1 



5 No sun shall smite their head by day, 
Nor the pale moon, with sickly ray 
Shall blast their couch; no baleful star 
Dart his malignant fire so far. 

6 With fiercest rage should malice burn, 
Still they shall go, and still return. 
Safe in the Lord; his heav'nly care 
Defends their lives from ev'ry snare. 



Proper Metre. Watts. 

The same subject. 

1 T TP WARD I lift mine eyes, 
\^ From God is all my aid; 

The God who built the skies. 
And earth's foundation laid: 

God is the tow'r 

To which I fly: 

His grace is nigh 

In ev'ry hour. 

2 My feet shall never slide, 
Or fall in fatal snares, 

Since God, my guard and guide. 
Defends me from my fears. 

Those wakeful eyes 

That never sleep. 

Shall Isr'el keep. 

When dangers rise. 

3' No burning heats by day, 
Nor blasts of ev'ning air^ 
M 



134 



Government and 



Shall take my health away, 
If God be with me there. 
Thou art my sun, 
And thou my shade, 
To guard my head 
By night or noon. 

4 Hast thou not giv'n thy word, 
To save my soul from death? 
And I can trust the Lord 
To keep my mortal breath: 

I'll go and come, 

Nor fear to die, 

Till from on high 

He call me home. 



153. 

Short Metre. Watts. 

The heavenly shepherd* 

1 T^HE Lord my shepherd Is; 

X I shall be well supply'd: 
Since he is mine, and I am his, 
What can I want beside? 

2 He leads me to the place. 
Where heavenly pasture grows. 

Where living waters gently pass, , 
And full salvation flows. 

3 Tho' from his fold I stray, 
He doth my steps restore, 



Providence of God. 

And guides me in his own right way, 
That I may err no more. 

4 While he affords his aid, 
I cannot yield to fear; 
Tho' I should walk thro' death's dark 
shade, 

My shepherd's with me there. 

154. 

Short Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The same subject* 

1 T 7C T'HILE God my Father's near, 

V V My Shepherd and my Guide, 
I bid farewell to anxious fear. 
My wants are all supply'd. 

2 To ever-fragrant meads, 
Where rich abundance grows. 

His gracious hand indulgent leads, 
And guards my sweet repose. 

3 Along the lovely scene, 
Cool waters gently roll. 

And kind refreshment smiles serene, 
To cheer my fainting soul. 

4 Here let my spirit rest: 
How sweet a lot is mine! 

With pleasure, food, and safety blest; 
Beneficence divine! 

5 Great Shepherd! if I stray. 
My wandering feet restore; 



136 Government and 



To thy fair pastures guide my way, 
And let me rove no more. 

155. 

Proper Metre. Addison. 

The same subject. 

1 ^T^HE Lord my pasture shall prepare, 

X And feed me with a shepherd's care; 
His presence shall my wants supply, 
And guard me with a watchful eye: 
My noon-day walks he shall attend, 
And all my midnight hours defend. 

2 When in the sultry glebe I faint, 
Or on the thirsty mountain pant; 
To fertile vales and dewy meads, 
My weary, wandVing steps he leads^ 
Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow, 
Amid the verdant landscape flow. 

3 Though in a bare and rugged way. 
Through devious lonely wilds I stray; 
Thy presence shall my pains beguile, 
The dreary wilderness shall smile. 

With sudden greens and herbage crownM, 
And streams shall murmur all around. 

4 Though in the paths of death I tread, 
With gloomy horrors overspread; 
My steadfast heart shall fear no ill, 
For thou, O Lord! art with me still; 
Thy friendly hand shall give me aid, 
And guide me through the dreadful shade. 




137 




Common Metre. Doddridge. 

God's condescension in becoming' the shepherd 
of men, 

1 4 ND will the Majesty of Heav'n 



And with a shepherd's tender care 
Such worthless creatures keep? 

2 And will he spread his guardian arms 

Round our defenceless head? 
And cause us gently to lie down 
In his refreshing shade? 

3 And will he lead our weary souls 

To that delightful scene, 
Where rivers of salvation flow 
Through pastures ever green? 

4 What thanks can mortal men repay 

For favours great as thine? 
Or how can tongues of feeble clay 
Proclaim such love divine? 

5 Eternal God! how mean are we! 

How richly gracious thou! 
Our souls, o'erwhelmM with humble joy, 
In silent transports bow- 




Accept us for his sheep? 



M2 



138 



Government and 



Long Metre. Watts. 

Safety in public diseases and dangers. 

1 ^ I ^HEY that have made theirrefuge God, 

A Shall find a most secure abode; 
Shall walk all day beneath his shade, 
And there at night shall rest their head. 

2 If burning beams of noon conspire 
To dart a pestilential fire, 

God is their life; his wings are spread, 
To shield them 'midst ten thousand dead. 

3 If vapours with malignant breath 
Rise thick, and scatter midnight- death, 
Still they are safe: the poison'd air 
Again grows pure, if God be there. 

4 But if the fire, or plague, or sword. 
Receive commission from the Lord, 
To strike his saints among the rest. 
Their very pains and deaths are blest. 

5 The sword, the pestilence, or fire, 
Shall but fulfil their best desire; 
From sins and sorrows set them free, 
And bring thy children, Lord! to thee. 



Providence of God. 



139 




1 OD is the refuge of his saints, 

VJT When storms of deep distress invade: 
Ere we can offer our complaints. 
Behold him present with his aid! 

2 Let mountains from their seats be hurl'd 
Down to the deep, and buried there; 
Convulsions shake the solid world; 
Our faith shall never yield to fear. 

3 Loud may the troubled ocean roar; 
In sacred peace our souls abide; 
While ev'ry nation, evVy shore 
Trembles and dreads the swelling tide. 

4 'Midst storms and tempests, Lord! thy 

word 

Does ev'ry rising fear control: y-^^ f^^*%^^ ^ 
Sweet peace thy promises afford, ?r r v^va^k 
And well sustain the fainting soul. 



159. 



Common Metre. Patrick. 
Security in God. 



EYOND the limits of the sky, 
Thy mercy, Lord! extends; 



140 Government and 



Thy faithfulness the narrow bounds 
Of time and space transcends. 

2 Lord! who can duly prize that love 

Thou bearest to the just? 
Under thy providence and care 
Good men securely trust. 

3 To those who in thy love confide, 

Thy kindness still impart; 
And all thy promises fulfil 
To men oiF upright heart. 

160. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 

God the protector of innocence* 

1 nr^HINE is the throne, beneath thy reign^ 

X Great King of kings! the tribes profane 
Behold their dream of conquest o'er, 
And vanish, to be seen no more. 

2 What eyes like thine, Eternal Sire! 
Thro' sin's dark mazes can inquire? 
What hand, like thine, to virtue's foes 
Such awful judgments can oppose? 

3 The meek observer of thy laws 
To thee commits his injur'd cause: 
In thee, each anxious fear resign'd, 
The fatherless a father find. 

4 Thou, Lord! thy servants' wish canst read, 
Ere from their lips the pray'r proceed: 



Providence of God. 



i4i 



^Tis thine, the drooping heart to cheer, 
To wipe away the starting tear; 

5 To vindicate the suffVer's cause, 
To rescue from oppression's jaws, 
To curb the haughty tyrant's will, 
And bid the sons of pride be still. 

161. 

Long Metre. Bristol Collec. 

All things work together for good to the righ- 
teous* 

1 OT from relentless fate's dark womb, 
-L^ Or from the dust, our troubles come; 
No fickle chance presides o'er grief, 

To cause the pain, or send relief. 

2 Look up, and see, ye sorrowing saints! 
The cause and cure of your complaints: 
Know, 'tis your heav'nly Father's will; 
Bid every murmur then be still. 

3 He sees we need the painful yoke; 
Yet love directs his heaviest stroke: 
He takes no pleasure in our smart, 

But wounds to heal, and cheer the heart. 

4 Blest trials those that cleanse from sin, 
And make the soul all pure within, 
Wean the fond mind from earthly toys, 
To seek and taste celestial joys. 



142 Governmenl and 



^ 162. £^-,- 

Common Metre. Doddridge, 

Assurance of the divine presence. 

1 A ND art thou with us, gracious Lord! 
XIl To dissipate our fear? 

Dost thou proclaim thyself our God, 
Our God for ever near? 

2 Doth thy right hand, which form'd the 

earth, 

Ana bears up all the skies, 
Stn tch from on high its friendly aid, 
When dangers round us rise? 

3 On thy support our souls shall lean, 

And banish ev'ry care; 
The gloomy vale of death will smile, 
If God be with us there. 

4 While we his gracious succour prove, 

'Midst all our various ways, 
The darkest shades, through which we pass, 
Shall echo with his praise. 

163. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Creatures vain^ and God all-sufficient. 

1 "D LEST is the nation where the Lord 
XJ Hath fixM his gracious throne ; 
Where he reveals his heav'nly word, 
And calls their tribes his own. 



Providence of God. 



143 



2 His eye, with infinite survey, 

Does the whole world behold; 
He form'd us all of equal clay, 
And knows our feeble mould. 

3 Kings are npt rescuM by the force 

Of armies from the grave; 
Nor speed, nor courage of a horse 
Can the bold rider save* 

4 Vain is the strength of beasts or men, 

To hope for safety thence; 
But holy souls from God obtain 
A strong and sure defence. 

5 God is their fear, and God their trust, 

In him their safety's found; 
His watchful eye secures the jus*;, 
Though thousands fall around. 

6 Lord! let our hearts in thee rejoice, 

And bless us from thy throne; 
For we have made thy word our choice, 
And trust thy grace alone. 

164. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

The vicissitudes of providence* 

1 nr^HE gifts indulgent heav'n bestows, 
X Are variously convey'd; 
The human mind, like nature, knows 
Alternate light and shade. 



J 44 Government and 



2 While changing aspects all things wear, 

Can we expect to find 
Unclouded sunshine all the year, 
Or constant peace of mind ? 

3 More gaily smiles the blooming spring, 

When wintry storms are o'er; 
Retreating sorrow thus may bring 
Delights unknown before. 

4 Then, Christian! send thy fears away, 

Nor sink in gloomy care; 
Tho' clouds overspread the scene to-day, 
To-morrow may be fair. 

165. 

Common Metre. Jervis. 

Consolatory views of providence. 

1 'npHE God of heav'n is kind and just: 

X Then let not man complain; 
Nor e'er his providence distrust, 
His high decrees arraign. 

2 Tho' clouds should darken all the scene, 

Be this thy stedfast aim. 
Still to preserve a mind serene. 
Free from all guilt and shame* 

3 The lowliest flow'rs that deck the field. 

Thy mute instructors are; 
And wholesome admonition yield 
Against corroding care. 



Providence of God. 



145 



4 OI listen to kind nature's voice: 

To heav'n direct thine eyes; 
There nobler objects claim thy choice^ 
And brighter prospects rise. 

5 Far from anxiety and care, 

Still seek that blissful shore, 
Where discontent and dark despair 
Shall rend thy heart no more. 

V 166. , 

Common Metre. Jervis. 

God our consolation in adversity and dlstressi* 

1 'T^O calm the sorrows of the mind, 

JL Our heav'nly Friend is nigh, 
To wipe the anxious tear that starts. 
Or trembles in the eye. 

2 Thou canst, when anguish rends the heart, 

The secret woe control; 
The inward malady canst heal, 
The sickness of the soul. 

3 Thou canst repress the rising sigh; 

Canst sooth each mortal care; 
And ev'ry deep and heart-felt groan 
Is wafted to thine ear. 

4 Thy gracious eye is watchful still; 

Thy potent arm can save 
From threatening danger and disease, 
And the devouring grave. 

N 



146 Government and 

5 When, pale and languid all the frame, 

The ruthless hand of pain 
Arrests the feeble powVs of life, 
The help of man is vain. 

6 'Tis thou, great God! alone canst check 

The progress of disease; 
And sickness, aw'd by pow'r divine, 
The high command obeys. 

7 Eternal Source of life and health. 

And ev'ry bliss we feel! 
In sorrow, and in joy, to thee 
Our grateful hearts appeal. 

167. 

Common Metre. Tate and Brady. 

Encouragement from the experience of God's 
goodness. 

1 ^TpHRO' all the changing scenes of life, 

X In trouble and in joy. 
The praises of my God shall still 
My heart and tongue employ. 

2 Of his deliverance I will boast, 

Till all who are distrest 
From my example comfort take, 
And charm their griefs to rest. 

3 The hosts of God encamp around 

The dwellings of the just: 



Providence of God. 



U7 



Protection he affords to all 

Who make his name their trust. 

4 O make but trial of his love! 

Experience will decide. 
How blest are they, and only they, 
Who in his truth confide. 

5 Fear him, ye saints, and you will then 

Have nothing else to fear: 
Make you his service your delighti 
Your wants shall be his care. 



PART VI. 



Thanksgiving. 

168. 

Short Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Obligation to gratitude and p/aise* 

1 T^/F Y Maker^ and my King! 
O-VX To thee my all I owe: 
Thy sov'reign bounty is the spring, 

From whence my blessings flow. 

2 Thou ever good and kind! 
A thousand reasons move, 

A ths^usand obligation bind 
My heart to grateful love. 

3 The creature of thy hand, 
On thee alone I live: 

My God! thy benefits demand 

More praise than tongue can give. 

4 O what can I impart, 
When all was thine before? 

Thy love demands a thankful heart; 
The gift, alas! how poor! 

5 Shall I withhold thy due? 
And shall my passions rove? 

Lord! make me to thy service true, 
And fill me with thy love. 



Thanksgiving. 149 

O let thy grace inspire 
My soul with strength divine; 
Let all my pow'rs to thee aspire, 
And all noy days be thine. 

169. 

Long Metre, Watts. 

Praise for temporal blessings* 

WE bless the Lord, the jupt, the good. 
Who fills our hearts with joy and 
food; 

Who pours his blessings from the skies, 
And loads our days with rich supplies. 

He sends the sun his circuit round, 
To cheer the fruits, to warm the ground: 
He bids the clouds with plenteous rain 
Refresh the thirsty earth again. 

'Tis to his care we owe our breath. 
And all our near escapes from death: 
Safety and health to God belong: 
He helps the weak, he guards the strong. 

• He makes the saint and sinner prove 
The common blessings of his love; 
But the wide diff 'rence shall appear. 
When the rewarding day draws near. 



N2 



150 



Thanksgiving. 



170. 

Common Metre. Flexman, 

God our constant benefactor. 

1 RE AT God! to thee my grateful 
VJX tongue 

My fervent thanks shall raise: 
Inspire my heart to raise the song 
Which celebrates thy praise, 

2 From thy almighty forming hand 

i drew my vital pow'rsj 
My time revolves at thy command, 
In ail Its circling hoih*s. 

3 Thy pow'r, my ever-present guard, 

From evVy ill defends; 
While num'rous dangers hover round. 
My help from thee descends. 

4 Beneath the shadow of thy wings, 

How sweet is my repose! 
Thy morning light renews the springs 
From whence my comfort flows. 

5 In celebration of thy praise, 

I will employ my breath; 
And, walking stedfast in thy ways, 
Will triumph over death. 



Thanksgivings 



151 



171. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

God the author of our comforts^ our deliver- 
ancesy and our hopes. 

1 RE AT Source of life! our souls con- 
vJT fess 

The various riches of thy grace; 
CrownM with thy mercy, we rejoice, 
And in thy praise exalt our voice. 

2 By thee the vault of heav'n was spread; 
By thee, the earth's foundations laid; 

i ^ And all the scenes of man's abode 
Proclaim a wise and gracious God. 

3 Thy quick'ning hand restores our breath, 
When trembling on the verge of death; 
Gently it wipes away our tears, 

And lengthens life to future years. 

4 Our lives are sacred to the Lord; 
KindPd by him, by him restored; 
And, while our hours renew their race, 
May sin no more these hours disgrace! 

5 So when, at length, by thee we're led 
Through unknown regions of the dead. 
With hope triumphant, may we move 
To scenes of nobler life above! 



152 



Thanksgiving. 



172. / 

Long Metre. Merrick. 
Gon^ preserver^ benefactor^ and saviour. 

1 T TOW well our great Preserver knows 
X X To weigh, and to relieve our woes! 
Behold his wrath's avenging blast, 

How slow to rise, how soon o'erpast! 

2 How prompt his favour to dispense 
Its life-imparting influence! 

How speedy his paternal love 
Our deep afflictions to remove! 

3 Grief for a night, obtrusive guest! 
Beneath our roof perchance may rest; 
But joy, with the returning day, 
Shall wipe each transient tear away. 

4 Since thou wilt hearken to my pray'r, 
Again the face of joy I wear: 

Thy strength my fainting spirit cheers, 
And checks my griefs, and calms my fears. 

5 With what delight, great God, I trace 
The acts of thy stupendous grace! 

To count them, were to count the sand 
That lies upon the sea-beat strand. 

v/t 173. 

' Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

The blessings of Providence. 

1 \ LMIGHTY Father! gracious Lord! 
jLjl Kind guardian of my days! 



Thanksgiving. 153 



Thy mercies let my heart record 
In songs of grateful praise. 

2 In life's first dawn, my tender frame 

Was thy indulgent care, 
Long ere I could pronounce thy name. 
Or breathe the infant pray V. 

3 When reason with my stature grew, 

How weak her brightest ray! 
How little of my God I knew! 
How apt from thee to stray! 

4 Around my path what dangers rose! 

What snares overspread my road! 
No pow'r could guard me from my foes^ 
But my preserver, God. 

D When life hung trembling on a breath, 
'Twas thy unceasing love, 
That sav'd me from impending death, 
And bade my fears remove. 

6 Lord, though this mortal frame decays, 

And earthly comfort flies. 
Complete the wonders of thy grace, 
And raise me to the skies. 

7 Then shall my joyful pow'rs unite 

In more exalted lays; 
And join the happy sons of light 
In everlasting praise. 



154 



Thanksgiving* 



174.",- 

Common Metre. Addison. 

Gratitude to God. 

1 T i: THEN all thy mercies, O my God! 

t V My rising soul surveys, 
Transported with the view, I'm lost 
lii wonder, love, and praise. 

2 Thy providence my life sustained, 

And all my wants redress'd, 
When in the silent womb I lay, 
Or hung upon the breast. 

3 To all my weak complaints and cries 

Thy mercy lent an ear. 
Ere yet my feeble thoughts had learnt 
To form themselves in pray'r. 

4 UnnumberM comforts on my soul 

Thy tender care bestow'd, 
Before my infant heart conceived 
From whom those comforts flow'd* 

5 When in the slipp'ry paths of youth 

With heedless steps I ran. 
Thine arm, unseen, convey'd me safe, 
And led me up to man. 

6 Through hidden dangers, toils, and deaths, 

It gently clear'd my way; 
And through the pleasing snares of vice, 
More to be fearM than they. 

7 When nature fails, and day and night 

Divide thy works no more; 



Thanksgiving. 



155 



My ever grateful heart, O Lord! 
Thy mercy shall adore. 

^n- 175. ./ 

Common Metre. Addison. 

The same subject. 

1 HOW .shall words, with equal warmth^ 
V>/ The gratitude declare. 

That glows in my enraptured heart! — 
But thou can?it read it there, 

2 Thy bounteous hand with worldly bliss 

Hath made my cup run o'er; 
And, in a kind and faithtul friend, 
Hath doubled all my store. 

3 Ten thousand thousand precious gifts 

My daily thanks employ; 
Nor is the least a cheerful heart, 
Which tastes those gifts with joy. 

4 When worn by sickness, oft hast thou 

With health renew'd my iace; 
And, when in sins and sorrows sunk, 
Revived my soul with grace. 

5 Through ev'ry period of my life 

Thy goodness I'll pursue; 
And after death, in unknown worlds, 
The glorious theme renew. 

6 Through all eternity to thee 

A joyful song I'll raise — 
But oh! eternity's too short 
To utter all thy pr^se. 



156 



Thanksgiving. 



176. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
Gratitude to God for his innumerable mercies, 

1 TN glad amazement, Lord! I stand, 
X Amidst the bounties of thy hand; 
How numberless those bounties are! 
How rich, how various, and how fair! 

2 But O! what poor returns I make! 
What lifeless thanks I pay thee back! 
Lord! I confess with humble shame, 
My ofFVings scarce deserve the name* 

3 Fain would my laboring heart devise 
To bring some nobler sacrifice; 

It sinks beneath the mighty load, 
" What shall I render to my God?'' 

4 To him I consecrate my praise. 
And vow the remnant of my days; 
Yet what, at best, can I pretend, 
Worthy such gifts from such a friend! 

5 In deep abasement. Lord! I see 
My emptiness and poverty; 
Enrich my soul with grace divine. 
And make me worthier to be thine# 

6 Give me at length an angel's tongue. 
That heav'n may echo with my song; 
The theme, too great for time, shall be 
The joy of long eternity. 



Thanksgiving. 



157 



177. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele, 

Blessings of providence and redemption. 

1 ly/TY God, what blessings round me 
xSIjL shone, 

Where'er I turnM mine eye! 
How many pass'd almost unknown/ 
Or unregarded, by! 

2 Each rolling year new favours brought 

From thine exhaustless store: 
But ah! in vain my laboring thought 
Would count thy mercies o'er. 

3 While sweet reflection, through my days, 

Thy bounteous hand would trace; 
Still dearer blessings claim my praise, 
The blessings of thy grace. 

4 Yes, I adore thee, gracious Lord! 

For favours more divine; 
That I have known thy sacred word, 
Where all thy glories shine. 

5 My highest praise, alas, how poor! 

How cold my warmest love! 
My Father! teach me to adore, 
As angels do above. 

6 But frail mortality in vain 

Attempts the blissful song; 
The high, the vast, the boundless strain, 
Claims an immortal tongue. 

Q 



158 



Thanksgiving* 



Proper Metre. H. 
The love of God. 

1 TV/TY God! thy boundless love I praise^ 
xSIJl How bright on high its glories blaze! 

How sw^eetly bloom below* 
It streams from thine eternal throne; 
Thro' heav'n its joys for ever run, 

And o'er the earth they flow. 

2 'Tis love that paints the purple morn, 
And bids the clouds, in air upborne, 

Their genial drops distil; 
In ev'ry vernal beam it glows, 
And breathes in ev'ry gale that blows, 

And glides in ev'ry rill. 

3 It robes in cheerful green the ground. 
And pours its flow'ry beauties round. 

Whose sweets perfume the gale; 
Its bounties richly spread the plain. 
The blushing fruit, the golden grain, 

And smile on evVy vale. 

4 But in thy word I see it shine 
Witji grace and glories more divine, 

Proclaiming sins forgiv'n; 
There, faith, bright cherub, points the way 
To realms of everlasting day, 

And opens all her heav'n. 



Thanksgiving. 



159 



a Then let the love that makes me blest, 
.With cheerful praise inspire my breast, 

And ardent gratitude: 
And all my thoughts and passions tend 
To thee, my Father and my Friend, 

My soul's eternal good. 

179. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
Blessings of providence and redemption. 

1 TJ LESS, O my soul! the living God, 
IJ Call home thy thoughts that rove 

abroad; 

Let all the pow'rs within me join 
In work and worship so divine. 

2 Bless, O my soul! the God of grace; 
His favours claim thy highest praise: 
Let not the wonders he hath wrought, 
Be lost in silence and forgot. 

3 Our youth decayed, his pow'r repairs: 
His mercy crowns our growing years: 
He satisfies our mouths with good, 
And fills our hopes with heavenly food. 

4 The vices of the mind he heals. 

And sooths the pains which nature feels: 
Redeems our souls from death, and saves 
Our wasting lives from threatening graves. 



160 



Thanksgiving. 



5 He sees th' oppressor and th' opprest, 
And often gives the sufF'rer rest; 
But will his justice more display- 
In the last great rewarding day. 

6 His powV he showM by Moses' hands, 
And gave to Isr'el his commands; 
But sent his truth and mercy down 
To all the nations by his Son. 

7 Let the whole earth his pow'r confess; 
Let the whole earth adore his grace; 
The Gentile with the Jew shall join 
In work and worship so divine. 

180. 

Short Metre. Watts. 
The same subject. 

1 BLESS the Lord, my soul? 
Let all within me join, 

And aid my tongue to bless his name. 
Whose favours are divine. 

2 O bless the Lord, my soul! 
Nor let his mercies lie 

Forgotten in unthankfulness, 
And without praises die. 

3 *Tis he forgives thy sins, 
'Tis he relieves thy pain; 

^Tis he that heals thy sicknesses^ 
And gives thee strength again. 



Thanksgiving. 



16»1 



He crowns thy life with love, 
When rescu'd from the grave; 
He that redeemed our souls from death, 
Hath boundless pow'r to save. 

He fills the poor with good; 
He gives the sufF'rer rest; 
The Lord hath justice for the proud, 
And mercy for th' opprest. 

His wond'rous works and ways 
He made by Moses known; 
But sent the world his truth and grace 
By his beloved Son. 

181. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Praise for the divine goodness. 

AWAKE, my soul! awake, my tongue! 
My God demands the grateful song: 
Let all my nobler pow'rs record 
The wondrous mercy of the Lord. 

Divinely free, his mercy flows. 
Forgives my crimes, allays my woes; 
He bids approaching death remove, 
And crowns me with indulgent love. 

He fills my longing soul with good, 
Substantial bliss! immortal food! 
Youth smiles renew'd in active prime, 
And triumphs o'er the powV of time. 
O 2 



1 62 Thanksgiving. 

4f In him the poor opprest shall find 
A Friend, almighty, just and kind; 
His glorious acts, his wondrous ways, 
To all the world proclaim his praise. 

182. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Blessings of providence and redemption* 

1 IVE to our God immortal praise; 
vT Mercy and truth are all his ways; 
Wonders of grace to God belong: 
Repeat his mercies in your song. 

2 Give to the Lord of lords renown, 
The King of kings with glory crown; 
His mercies ever shall endure. 

When lords and kings are known no more. 

3 He built the earth, he spread the sky, 
And fix'd the starry lights on high; 
Wonders of grace to God belong: 
Repeat his mercies in your song. 

4 He fills the sun with morning light, 
He bids the moon direct the night: 
His mercies ever shall endure. 

When sun and moon shall shine no more. 

5 He sent his Son with pow'r to save 
From guilt, and darkness, and the grave: 
Wonders of grace to God belong: 
Repeat his mercies in your song. 



Thanksgiving. 



163 



6 Thro' this vain world he guides our feet, 
And leads us to his heav'nly seat; 
His mercies ever shall endure, 
When this vain world shall be no more. 

183. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 
The same subject. 

1 IVE thanks to God most high, 
vX The universal Lord, 

The sov'reign King of kings, 
And be his grace ador'd. 

His powV and grace 

Are still the same; 

And let his name 

Have endless praise. 

2 How mighty is his hand! 
What wonders hath he done! 
He formM the earth and seas, 
And spread the heav'ns alone. 

Thy mercy, Lord, 
Shall still endure; 
And ever sure 
Abides thy word. 

Z His wisdom fram'd the sun, 
To crown the day with light; 
The moon and twinkling stars, 
To chetr the darksome night. 

His pow'r and grace 

Are still the same; 



164 



Thanksgiving. 



And let his name 
Have endless praise. 

4 He sent his only Son, 

To save us from our woe, 
From error, sin, and death, 
And ev'ry hurtful foe. 

Thy mercy, Lord, 

Shall still endure, 

And ever sure 

Abides thy word. 

• 184. 

Common Metre. Berridge. 

The same subject. 

1 'T^H Y goodness. Lord! our souls confess, 

jL Thy goodness we adore; 
A spring whose blessings never fail, 
A sea without a shore. 

2 Sun, moon, and stars, thy love attest 

In ev'ry golden ray; 
Love draws the curtains of the night, 
And love returns the day. 

3 Thy bounty ev'ry season crowns 

With all the bliss it yields; 
With joyful clusters loads the vine. 
With strength'ning grain the fields. 

4 But chiefly thy compassions, Lord! 

Are in the gospel seen; 
There, like the sun, thy mercy shines. 
Without a cloud between. 



Thanksgiving. 



165 



185. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Assistance and victory in the spiritual warfare^ 

1 TT^OR ever blessed be the Lord, 
J: My saviour and my shield! 
He sends his spirit v;ith his word, 

To arm me for the field. 

2 When all my foes their force unite, .^^ 

He makes my soul his care; 
Instructs me to the heav'nly fight, 
And guards me through the war. 

3 A friend and helper so divine 

Does my weak courage raise; 
He makes the glorious vict'ry mine, 
And his shall be the praise. 

186, 

Short Metre. Watts. 
Praise for salvation. 

1 ripO God, the only wise, 

X Our Saviour and our King, 
Let all the saints with joyful heartSj 
Their humble praises sing. 

2 'Tis his almighty love, 
His counsel and his care, 



166 



Thanksgiving • 



Preserves us safe from sin and deaAj 
And ev'ry hurtful snare. 

3 He will present us pure, 
Unblemish'd and complete, 

Before the glory of his face. 
With joys divinely great. 

4 Then, all his faithful sons 
Shall meet around the throne, 

Shall bless the conduct of his grace, 
And make his wonders known. 

5 To God, the only wise, 
All majesty belongs; 

And be his pow'r and grace adored 
In everlasting songs! 



Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Light and deliverance. 

1 nr^HE weary traveler, lost in night, 

JL Breathes many a longing sigh, 
And marks the welcome dawn of light, 
With rapture in his eye. 

2 Thus sweet the dawn of heav'nly day 

Lost weary sinners find. 
When mercy, with reviving ray, 
Beams o'er the fainting mind. 

3 To slaves opprest with cruel chains. 

How kind,, how dear the friend, 



Thanksgiving. 



16/ 



Whose gen'rous hand relieves their pains, 
And bids their sorrows end! 

4 Thus kind, thus dear, that friend divine, 

Who rescues captive souls; 
Unbinds the galling chains of sin, 
And all its pow'r controls. 

5 My God! to thy revealed light 

My dawn of hope I owe; 
Once, wandVing in the shades of night, 
And sunk in hopeless woe. 

@ 'Twas thy blest hand redeemed the slave, 
And set the prisoner free: 
Be all I am, and all I have, 
Devoted, Lord, to thee! 



PART VH. 



Divine Revelatiojt: 
V 188. 

■ Short Metre. Watts. 

The book of nature and scripture. 

1 T) EHOLD! the lofty skv 
m Declares its Maker God; 

And all his starry works on high 
Proclaim his pow'r abroad. 

2 The darkness and the light 
Still keep their course the same; 

While night to day, and day to night, 
Divinely teach his name. 

5 In ev'ry diffVent land 

Their gen'ral voice is known: 
They show the wonders of his hand^ 
And orders of his throne. 

4 Ye christian lands, rejoice; 
Here he reveals his word: 

We are not left to nature's voice 
To bid us know the Lord. 

5 His statutes and commands 
Are set before our eyes; 

JHe put his gospel.in our hands. 
Where our salvation lies. 



Divine Revelation. 



169 



6 His laws are just and pure, 
Hi'5 truth without deceit; 
His promises for ever sure, 
And his rewards are great. 

189. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

The works and word of God. 

1 nnHE heav'ns declare thy glory, Lord! 

X In ev'ry star thy wisdom shines; 
But when our eyes behold thy word, 
We read thy name in fairer lines. 

2 The rolling sun, the changing light, 
And nights, and days, thy pow'r confess; 
But the blest volume thou hast writ, 
Reveals thy justice and thy grace. 

3 Sun, moon, and stars, convey thy praise 
Round the whole earth, and never stand; 
So when thy truth began its race. 

It touch'd and gianc'd on evVy land. 

4 Nor shall thy spreading gospel rest. 
Till thro* the world thy truth has run: 
Till Christ has all the nations blest 
That see the light or feel the sun. 

5 Father of lights! in glory rise. 

Bless the dark world with heavenly light; 
Thy gospel makes the simple wise, 
Thy laws are pure, thy judgments right, 
P 



170 Divine Revelation* 



6 Thy noblest wonders here we view^ 
In souls renewM, and sins forgiv'n: 
Lord! cleanse my sins, my soul renew. 
And make thy word my guide to heav'n* 

190. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 
The same subject. 

1 REAT God! the heav'ns' well-or- 
VT der'd frame 

Declares the glories of thy name; 

There thy rich works of wonder shinej 
A thousand starry beauties there, 
A thousand radiant marks appear, 

Of boundless pow'r and skill divine. 

2 From night to day, from day to night. 
The dawning and the dying light, 

Lectures of heav'nly wisdom read; 
With silent eloquence they raise 
Our thoughts to the Creator's praise. 

And neither sound nor language need. 

a? Yet their divine instructions run 
Far as the journies of the sun. 

And distant nations know their voice: 
The sun, in robes of splendour drest. 
Breaks from the chambers of the east. 

Moves round, and bids the earth rejoice. 

4f Where'er he spread his beams abroad, 
He speaks the majesty of God: 
All nature joins to show thy praise. 



Divine Revelation* 



in 



Thus God in ev'ry creature shines: 
Fair are the book of nature's lines, 
But fairer is the book of grace. 

V 191. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The advantages of divine revelation. 

1 T7I THEN Israel thro' the desert pass'd^ 

V V A fiery pillar went before, 
To guide ihem thro' the dreary waste, 
And lessen the fatigues they bore. 

2 Such is ihe glorious word of GoD; 
'Tis for our light and guidance giv'n; 
It sheds a lustre all abroad, 

And points the path to bliss and heav'n. 

3 It fills the soul with sweet delight, 
And quickens its inactive pow'rs; 

It seis our vvand'ring footsteps right, 
Displays his love, and kindles ours. 

4 Its promises rejoice our hearts; 
Its doctrines are divinely true; 
Knowledge and pleasure it imparts; 
It comforts and instructs us too. 

5 Ye favour'd lands, blest with this word! 
Ye saints, who feel its saving pow'r! 
Unite your tongues to praise the Lord, 
And his distinguished grace adore. 



172 Divine Revelation. 

192. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Excellence of scripture, 

1 ^ I ^HE starry heav'ns thy rule obey, 

JL The earth maintains her place; 
And these thy servants, night and day, 
Thy skill and pow'r express. 

2 But still thy law and gospel, Lord! 

Have lessons more divine; 
Not earth stands firmer than thy word^ 
Nor stars so nobly shine. 

3 Let all the heathen writers join 

To form one perfect book: 
Great God! if once compared with thine, 
How mean their writings look! 

4 Not the most perfect rules they gave. 

Could show one sin forgiv'n. 
Nor lead a step beyond the grave; 
But thine conduct to heav'n. 

5 Thy word is everlasting truth; 

How pure is evVy page! 
That holy book shall guide our youth, 
And well support our age. 



Divine Revelation. 



193. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

The excellency of the holy scriptures* 

1 T7^ ATHER of mercies! in thy word 
J? What endless glory shines! 
Forever be thy name ador'd, 

For these celestial lines! 

2 Here, may the wretched sons of want 

Exhaustless riches find; 
Riches, above what earth can grant, 
And lasting as the mind. 

3 Here, the fair tree of knowledge grows^ 

And yields a free repast: 
Sublimer sweets than nature knows, 
Invite the longing taste. 

4 Here, springs of consolation rise, 

To cheer the fainting mind; 
And thirsty souls receive supplies, 
And sweet refreshment find. 

5 'Tis here the Saviour's welcome voice 

Spreads heav'nly peace around; 
And life and everlasting joys 
Attend the blissful sound. 

6 O may these heav'nly pages be 

My ever dear delight; 
And still new beauties may I see, 
And still increasing light! 

P2 



174 



Divine Revelatio7i. 



194. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Perfection of God^s law. 

1 Y} ERFECTION! 'tis an empty name, 
Jl Nor can repay our cares; 

And he that seeks it here below, 
Must end the search with tears. 

2 Great David on his royal throne, 

The beauteous and the strong, 
Rich in the spoils of conquered foes. 
Amidst th' applauding throng, 

3 With all his mind's capacious pow'rs, 

Pursu'd the shade in vain; 
Not heard in his melodious voice. 
Or harp's angelic strain. 

4 From public to domestic scenes 

Th' impatient monarch turns— 
The friend, the husband, and the sire. 
In sad succession mourns. 

5 At length, thy law, eternal God! 

He through his tears descries. 
And, wrapt amidst those sacred folds, 
He finds the heav'nly prize. 

6 There will I seek perfection too. 

Where David's God is known; 
Nor envy, with this volume blest. 
His treasures and his throne. 



Divine Revelatim. 



195. 



Common Metre. Watts. 

The consolation of scripture, 

1 T ORD! I have made thy word my 
I J choice, 

My lasting heritage: 
There shall my noblest powVs rejoice, 
My warmest thoughts engage. 

2 I'll read the histVies of thy love, 

And keep thy laws in sight, 
While through the promises I rove. 
With ever fresh delight. 

3 'Tis a broad land of wealth unknown, 

Where springs of life arise, 
Seeds of immortal bliss are sown, 
And hidden glory lies. 

4 The best relief that mourners have, 

It makes our sorrows blest; 
Our fairest hope beyond the grave, 
And our eternal rest. 



1 'THHE volume of my Father's grace, 

-1- Does all my grief assuage: 
His cheering promises I trace 
Almost in cv'ry page. 



196. 



Common Metre. Watts. 

The same subject. 




176 



Divine Revelation. 



2 This is the field where hidden lies 

The pearl of price unknown: 
The merchant is divinely wise, 
Who makes that pearl his own. 

3 This is the judge that ends the strife, 

Where wit and reason fail; 
My guide to everlasting life 
Through all this gloomy vale. 

4 Oh! may thy counsels, mighty God! 

My roving feet command; 
Nor I forsake the happy road, 
That leads to thy right hand. 

197. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Instruction to the young from scripture. 

1 T T O W shall the young secure their 
XJL hearts, 

And guard their lives from sin? 
Thy word the choicest rules imparts, 
To keep the conscience clean. 

2 When once it enters to the mind. 

It spreads such light abroad. 
The meanest souls instruction find. 
And raise their thoughts to God. 

"3 *Tis like the sun, a heav'nly light, 
That guides us all the day; 
And through the dangers of the night, 
A lamp to lead our way. 



Divine Revelation. 



177 



198. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

The perfect law of liberty. 

1 T) EHOLD that wise, that perfect law, 
XJ Which noblest freedom gives: 

O may it all our souls refine, 
And sanctify our lives! 

2 Not with a transient glance surveyed, 

And in an hour forgot. 
But deep inscribed on ev'ry heart, 
To reign o*er evVy thought. 

3 Great Author of each perfect gift! 

Thy gracious pow'r display, 
That our ungrateful, wand'ring heafts 
May hearken and obey. 



199. A 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steelk. 
Light and comfort from the scriptures. 

1 'TnO God, its source, my soul aspires; 

X Come, Lord! and fill my vast desires: 
Be thou my portion; here I rest. 
Since of my utmost wishpossest. 

2 O! let thy sacred word impart 

Its genVous influence to my heart; 
With pow'r, and light, and love divine, 
Assure my soul that thou art mine. 



178 



Divine Revelation* 



3 The blissful word, with joy replete, 
Shall bid my gloomy fears retreat; 
And heav'n-born hope, serenely bright. 
Shine cheerful through this mortal night. 

4 Then shall my joyful spirit rise 
On wings of faith above the skies: 

And when these transient scenes are o'er. 
And this vain world shall tempt no more; 

5 O! may I reach the blissful plains, 
Where thy unclouded glory reigns, 
And dwell for ever near thy throne. 
In joys to mortal thought unknown. 

200. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

Scripture teachings^ and their happy conse- 
quences* 

1 "D RIGHT Source of intellectual rays! 
-D Father of spirits and of grace! 

O dart, with energy unknown. 
Celestial beamings from thy throne. 

2 Thy sacred book we would survey. 
Enlightened with that heavenly day; 
And seek thine influence with the word, 
To teach our souls to know the Lokd. 

3 So shall our children learn the road. 
That leads them to their fathers' God; 
And, form'd by lessons so divine. 

Shall infant minds with knowledge shine* 



Divine Revelation* 



179 



4 So shall the haughtiest soul submit, 
With children plac'd at Jesus' feet; 
The noisy swell of pride shall cease, 
And thy sweet voice be heard in peace. 

201. '^^'^ 

Common Metre. Cowper. 
The light and glory of the world. 

1 "TXT" HAT glory gilds the sacred page, 

V V Majestic like the sun! 
It gives a light to ev'ry age; 
It gives, but borrows none. 

2 The hand that gave it, still supplies 

His gracious light and heat; 
His truths upon the nations rise. 
They rise, but never set. 

3 Let everlasting thanks be thine, 

For such a bright display. 
As makes a world of darkness shine 
With beams of heav'nly day. 

4 My soul rejoices to pursue 

The paths of truth and lovej 
Till glory break upon my view 
In brighter worlds above. 



Divine Kevelation* 



202. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Delight in scripture. 

1 r\ HOW I love thy holy law! 
V>/ 'Tis daily my delight; 
And thence my meditations draw 

Divine advice by night. 

2 How doth thy word my heart engage! 

How well employ my tongue! 
And, in my tiresome pilgrimage, 
Yield me a heavenly song. 

3 Am I a stranger, or at home, 

'Tis a divine repast; 
Not honey, dropping from the comb, 
So much allures the taste. 

4 No treasures so enrich the mind; 

Nor shall thy word be sold, 
For loads of silver well refin'd, 
Nor heaps of choicest gold. 

5 When nature sinks, and spirits droop. 

Thy promises of grace 
Are pillars to support my hope; 
And ther^ I write thy praise. 



Divine Revelation. 



181 



203. 

Common Metre. 
Reason a divine gift* 

1 T'\7"HAT heav'nly wisdom has be- 

VV stow'd, 
O! let not man despise; 
Reason's a gift our praise demands; 
It lifts us to the skies. 

2 How could we know or value truth 

Without this beam of light? 
Or conscience feel of right and wrong, 
Or in God's praise delight? 

3 For reason and for conscience too, 

Accept our praise, O Lord! 
May this be pure, and that be clear, 
And both embrace thy word. 

204. 

Short Metre. Scott. 

The right and duty of private judgment* 

1 TMPOSTURE shrinks from light, 
X And dreads the curious eye: 

But sacred truths the test invite, 
They bid us search and try. 

2 O may we still maintain 
A meek inquiring mind; 

Assur'd we shall not search in vain, 
But hidden treasures find« 

Q 



182 



Divine Revelation. 



3 With understanding blest, 
Created to be free, 

Our faith on man we dare not rest, 
Subject to none but thee. 

4 Lord! give the light we need; 
With soundest knowledge filU 

From noxious error guard our creed, 
From prejudice our wilU 

205. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 

Religion -without superstition. 

1 AR hence each superstition vain, 
A Wild offspring of the human brain! 
The truths that fill thy hallow'd page. 
My happier choice, great God! engage. 

O, ever faithful to thy word. 
Do thou thy vital strength afford; 
Thy help impart, Eternal Sire! 
Nor let my hope in shame expire. 

3 Sustained by thy almighty aid. 
What danger shall my soul invade? 
Nor errors cloud, nor arts of sin 
My soul from thy obedience wine 



PART VIII. 



Christ and Chrtstianiti/. 

206. 

Short Metre. Watts. 
The excellency of the gospeL 

1 T> EHOLD! the morning sun 
-U Begins his glorious way; 

His beams through all the nations run, 
And life and light convey. 

2 But where the gospel comes, 
It spreads diviner light, 

It calls dead sinners from their tombs, 
And gives the blind their sight. 

3 How perfect is thy word! 
And all thy judgments just: 

For ever sure thy promise, Lord! 
And men securely trust. 

4 My gracious God! how plain 
Are thy directions giv'n! 

O may I never read in vain, 
But find the path to heav'n! 

5 While with my heart and tongue 
I spread thy praise abroad. 

Accept the worship and the song, 
My Father and my God. 



1 S4f Christ and Christtanity* 



207. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 

I {^j^^tI The same subject. 

1 T LOVE the volumes of thy word: 

X What light and joy those leaves afford 
To souls benighted and distrest! 

Thy precepts guide my doubtful way; 

Thy ifear forbids my feet to stray; 
Thy promise leads my heart to rest. 

2 From the discoveries of thy law, 
The perfect rules of life 1 draw; 

These are my study and delight: 
Not honey so invites the taste. 
Nor gold that hath the furnace past, 

Appears so pleasing to the sight. 

3 Thy threat'nings wake my slumb'ringeycs, 
And warn me where my danger lies; 

But 'tis thy blessed gospel, Lord! 
That makes my guilty conscience clean, 
Converts my soul, subdues my sin, 

And gives a free, but large reward. 

4 Wbo knows the errors of his thoughts? 
My God! forgive my secret faults. 

And from presumptuous sins restrain^ 
Accept my poor attempts of praise. 
That I have read thy book of grace, 

And book of nature not in vain. 



Christ and Christianity. 1 85 




1 RE AT God! how well thy truths 



How wise and holy thy commands! 

Thy promises, how sure they be! 

How firm our hope, and comfort stands! 

2 Though we should trace the globe around, 
And ev'ry different system scan, 

There will be no religion found 
So just to God, so safe to man. 

3 The various forms that men devise, 
To shake my faith with treach'rous art, 
I scorn as vanity and lies, 

And bind the gospel to my heart. 



Common Metre. Watts. 

Praise for the gospel. 

1 "T^O our almighty Maker, God, 

JL New honours be addrest! 
His great salvation shines abroad, 
And makes the nations blest. 

2 He spake the word to Abra^m first; 

His truth fulfils the grace: 
The Gentiles make his name their trust, 
And learn his righteousness. 

3 Let the whole earth his love proclaim, 

With all her difF'rent tongues; 



209. 



Q2 



186 Christ and Christianttif. 



And spread the honours of his name, 
In melody and songs. 

210. 

Proper Metre. Salisbury Collection. 

Praise to the God of our salvation* 

1 T TAIL the God of our salvation! 
JLJL Triumph in redeeming love; 
Let us with glad exultation 
Imitate the blest above. 

2 Light of those whose dreary dwelling 
BorderM on the shades of death, 

He hath, by his grace revealing. 
Scattered all the clouds beneath. 

3 Father, thou art all compassion. 
Pure, unbounded love thou art; 
Hail the God of our salvation! 
Praise him ev'ry thankful heart. 

4 Joyfully on earth adore him. 
Till in heav'n we take our place; 
There enraptured fall before him. 
Lost in wonder, love and praise. 

211. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

The christian scheme of salvation worthy of 
God. 

1 TMMORTAL God! on thee we call, 
X The Great Original of all; 



Christ and Christianity* 1 87 



From thee we are^ to thee we tend, 
Our sure support, our glorious end^ 

2 We praise that wise, that wondrous grace 
That pitied our revolted race, 

And Jesus, our victorious head, 
The captain of salvation made. 

3 He, thine eternal love decreed. 
Should many sons to glory lead; 
And sinful worms to him are giv'n 
A colony to people heav'n. 

4 Jesus for us (O gracious name) 
Encountered agony and shame; 
Jesus, the glorious and the great. 
Was by dire sufF'rings made complete, 

5 A scene of wonders here we see. 
Worthy thy son, and worthy thee; 

And while this theme employs our tongues, 
All heav'n unites its sweetest songs. 

212. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The blessings of the gospel* 

1 T) LEST are the souls that hear and know 
XJ The gospel's joyful sound; 

Peace shall attend the path they go, 
And light their steps surround. 

2 Their joy shall bear their spirits up, 

Through God's eternal name; 
His promises exalt their hope; 
And who shall dare condemn? 



1 88^ Christ and Christianity • 



3 The Lord, our glory and defence, 
Strength and salvation gives: 
IsrVl, thy King for ever reigns. 
Thy God for ever lives. 

213. 

Short Metre. Watts, 

The blessings of the gospel. 

1 T TOW beauteous are their feet 
XJL Who stand on Zion's hill! 
Who bring salvation on their tongues, 

And words of peace reveal. 

2 How charming is their voice! 
How sweet the tidings are! 

" Zion, thy King, thy God appears! 
" He reigns and triumphs here." 

3 How happy are our ears 
That hear the joyful sound, 

Which kings and prophets waited for. 
And sought, but never found! 

4 How blessed are our eyes 
That see this heav'nly light! 

Prophets and kings desir'd it long. 
But dy'd without the sight. 

5 The watchmen join their voice, 
And tuneful notes employ. 

Far-distant lands break forth in songs^ 
And deserts learn the joy. 



Christ and Christianity, 189 



214. 

Long Metre. Mr. J. Taylor. 

The light of the gospel. 

1 HOW delightful is the road 

\J That guides us to thy temple, Lord! 
With joy we visit thine abode, 
And seek the treasures of thy word. 

2 O heav'nly treasures! glorious light! 
From ancient sages long conceaPd; 
Till Christ restor d the feeble sight. 
And God's unchanging word reveal'd. 

215. 

Short Metre. Watts. 

The birth of Christ. "'^-^ 

1 TJEHOLD! the grace appears, 
J The blessing promised long; 
Angels announce the Saviour near 

In this triumphant song: 

2 " Glory to God on high! 
And heav'nly peace on earth: 

Good-will to men, to angels joy. 
At the Redeemer's birth!" 

3 In worship so divine 

Let saints employ their tongues: 
With the celestial hosts we join. 
And loud repeat their songs: 

4 Glory to God on high! 
And heav'nly peace on earth; 



190 Christ and Christianity. 

Good-will to men, to angels joy. 
At our Redeemer's birth! 

216. 

Proper Metre. John Taylor. 
/ Christmas Hymn. 

(Tune, Adeste Fideles.^ 
1 TT^ XULTING, rejoicing, hail the happy 
■ i morning, 

The morn of the day when our Christ 
was born! 

Angels of mercy, who his birth attended, 
O bear our loud hosannas thro' the sky! 

O bear, &c. 

3 Salvation proclaiming to the guilty nations, 
He comes in the glory and power of God, 
Angels of mercy, who his steps attended, 
O bear our loud hosannas thro' the sky! 

O bear, &c« 

S Devoted submissive, on the cross expiring, 
He bows to the will of his Father, God: 
Angels of pity, who his death attended, 
O bear our loud hosannas thro' the sky! 

O bear, &c. 

217. 

Short Metre. Needham. 

Birth of Christ. 

1 ^ I^HE Prince of Peace is come! 
JL Ye nations shout and sing; 



Christ and Christianity. 191 



Let men and angels join their songs, 
To hail this glorious King. 

2 Light of the world, he comes! 
The blind receive their sight; 

The mind now feels his gladd'ning ray, 
And all within is light. 

3 Evangelist divine! 

He makes the gospel known: 
The poor the joyful tidings hear, 
And their great prophet own. 

A Whilst, gracious God! I hear 
Thy gospel's joyful sound. 
May my glad heart, my tongue, my life, 
Be all obedience founds 

218. 

Common Metre. Needham. 
The same subject. 

1 LORY to God on high be giv'n^ 
vX For peace to earth is brought! 
Good will to wretched, dying men, 

Surpassing human thought. 

2 The time foretold by heav'n is come, 

The year of Jubilee; 
The day which kings and saints so long, 
So much desir'd to see. 

3 He's come, the mighty Saviour's come, 

Hear? and rejoice, thou earth; 
Let ev'ry tongue, the globe around. 
Hail the Redeemer's birth. 



192 Christ and Christianity. 



4 To universal empire born, 

The charge he well sustains: 
Nations, rejoice] the mighty Lord, 
Your king, Messiah, reigns. 

5 Glory to God on high be giv'n. 

For peace to earth is brought! 
Good will to wretched, dying men, 
Surpassing human thought* 



1 ^T^O those who fear and trust the Lor6, 

1. His mercy stands for ever sure: 
From age to age his promise lives, 
And the performance is secure. 

2 He spake to Abr'am and his seed, 
In thee shall all the earth be bless'd! 
The mem'ry of that ancient word 
Lay long in his eternal breast. 

3 But now no more shall Isr'el wait; 
No more the Gentiles lie forlorn; 
Lo! the desire of nations comes. 
Behold! the promis'd seed is born. 



1 T1I7ELCOME the hope of Israel's race' 
V V The Messenger of truth and grace! 






Christ and Christianity* 193 



Your hearts in righteousness prepare; 
Behold your wish'd redemption near! 

2 See glory, bursting from the skies, 
O'er Judah's land effulgent rise; 
And ii% amidst her coasts its seat, 
Where justice, truth, and mercy meet: 

3 While faith and hope, their offspring dear, 
Attendant on their steps appear; 

And joinM in friendly compact move, 
Bless'd with philanthropy and love. 

4 Truth in thy lands, O earth! shall spring, 
And righteousness her healing wing 
Expandmg, downward cast her eye, 
While heav'n's greatMonarch from on high? 

5 The heathen gloom shall chase away, 
And usher in a glorious day; 

And, from his own propitious will. 
The promisM grace to man fulfil. 



1 "T>REPARE,'' th' appointed herald 



X cried, 
" The Lord's straight path prepare: 
Let valleys rise, let hills subside. 
And rugged ways grow fair! 

2 " Then shall the race of man behold 
Salvation from on high; 




R 



194 Christ and Christianity. 



Then shall the Saviour, long foretold, 
Commence his ministry.'* 

3 Spotless the heav'n-taught teacher stood, 

And meekly bow'd his head, 
While from old Jordan's sacred flood 
Baptismal rites were shed. 

4 Now spake th' announcing voice of heav'n, 

While bright the glory shone; 
" To you the Christ of God is giv'n, 
Jehovah's chosen son. 

5 " Him hear; with him my cov'nant stands, 

With pow'r I him invest; 
I place my sceptre in his hands, 
My truth inspires his breast." 

222. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
The same subject. 

1 TTARK, the glad sound! the Saviour 
Xjl comes! 

The Saviour promis'd long! 
Let ev'ry heart a throne prepare; 
And ev'ry voice a song. 

2 On him the spirit largely pour'd, 

Exerts its hoiy fire; 
Wisdom and might, and zeal and love, 
His sacred breast inspire. 

3 He comes the pris'ners to release, 

In wretched bondage held; 



Christ and Christianity. 195 



The gates of brass before him burst, 
The iron fetters yield. 

4 He comes, from thickest films of vice 
To clear the mental ray; 
And on the eye-balls of the blind, 
To pour celestial day. 

$ He comes, the broken heart to bind, 
The wounded soul to cure; 
And, with the treasures of his grace, 
Enrich the humble poor. 

6 Our songs of joy and gratitude 
His welcome shall proclaim; 
Hail to the Prince of peace, who comes 
In God our Father's name! 

223. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The same subject. 

1 O ING to the Lord, ye distant lands! 
O Ye tribes of evVy tongue! 

His new-discoverM grace demands 
A new and noble song. 

2 Say to the nations, Jesus came, 

A guilty world to save; 
From vice and error to reclaim, 
And rescue from the grave. 

3 Let heav'n proclaim the blissful dayj 

Joy through the earth be seen; 



196 Christ and Christianity* 

Let cities shine in bright array, 
And fields in cheerful green, 

4 With pleasure lift your wondVing eyes, 

Ye islands of the sea; 
Ye mountains, sink; ye valleys, rise; 
Prepare the Saviour^s way. 

5 Behold he comes! he comes to bless 

The nations from their God; 
To show the world his righteousness. 
And send his truth abroad. 

224. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The coming and kingdom of Christ* 

1 TOY to the world, the Lord is come! 
tl The long-predicted king; 

Let ev'ry heart prepare him room, 
And heav'n and nature sing. 

2 Joy to the earth; the Saviour reigns! 

Let men their songs employ; 
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and 
plains, 
Repeat the sounding joy. 

3 No more let sins and sorrows grow. 

Nor thorns infest the ground; 
He comes to make his blessings flow. 
As far as guilt is found. 

4 God rules the world with truth and grace? 

And makes the nations prove 
The glories of his faithfulness, 
And wonder'^s of his love. 



Christ and Christianity* 197' 



225. 

Common Metre. Edinburgh Collection. 
The same subject, 

1 T> EHOLD,he comes! your leader comes, 
JD With might and honour crown'd; 

A witness, who shall spread my name 
To earth's remotest bound. 

2 The beam that shines from Zion's hill, 

Shall lighten ev'ry land; 
The king who reigns in Salem's tow'rs^ 
Shall all the world command. 

3 See, nations hasten to his call 

From ev'ry distant shore; 
Isles yet unknown shall bow to him, 
And Isr'el's God adore. 

4 Come, then, O house of Jacob! come, 

To his blest laws incline; 
S'jU walking in the light of God, 
With holiness divine. 

226. 

Common Metre. Cowper. 
Christ the sun of righttousness. 

1 T T OW blest thy creature is, O God! 
XJL When, with a single eye. 

He views the lustre of thy word, 
The day-spring from on high! 

2 Through all the storms that veil the skies, 

And frown on earthly things; 
R2 



198 Christ and Christianity* 

The sun of righteousness he eyes 
With healing on his wings, 

3 The glorious orb, whose golden beams, 

The fruitful year control, 
Since first, obedient to thy word, 
He started from the goal — 

4 Has cheerM the nations with the joys 

His orient rays impart; 
But, 'tis the light of Christ alone 
Can shine upon the heart. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
The same subject. 

1 'THO thee, O God! we homage pay, 

JL Source of the light that rules the day! 
Who, while he gilds all nature's frame, 
Reflects thy rays and speaks thy name. 

2 In louder strains we sing that grace 

^ Which gives the sun of righteousness, 
Whose nobler light salvation brings, 
And scatters healing from his wings. 

3 Still on our hearts may Jesus shine. 
With beams of light and love divine; 
Quicken'd by him our souls shall live, 
And cheer'd by him shall grow and thrive. 

4 O may his glories stand confessed. 
From north to south, from east to west; 
Successful may his gospel run, 

Wide as the circuit of the sun. 



Christ and Christianity. 199 



5 When shall that radiant scene arise, 
When, fixM on high, in purer skies, 
Christ all his lustre shall display 
On all his saints through endless day! 

228. 

Short Metre. Lindsey's Collection, 
Christ the light of the world. 

1 "D EHOLD, the Prince of peace, 
X3 The chosen of the Lord, 

God's well-beloved Son, fulfils 
The sure prophetic word, 

2 No royal pomp adorns 
This king of righteousness: 

Meekness and patience, truth and love 
Compose his princely dress, 

3 The spirit of the Lord, 
In rich abundance shed. 

On this great prophet gently lights, 
And rests upon his head, 

4 Jesus, the light of men! 

His doctrine life imparts: , 
O may we feel its quickening pow'r 
To warm and glad our hearts! 

5 Cheer'd by its beams, our souls 
Shall run the heav'nly way: 

The path which Christ hath mark'd and trod. 
Will lead to endless day. 



200 Christ and Chrtstianitif* 

^ ' 229. 

Proper Metre. Wesley. 
The star of Jacob. 

1 O ONS of men, behold him far, 
O Hail the long-expected star! 
Jacobus star, that gilds the night, 
Guides bewilder'd nature right. 

2 Fear not hence that ill should flow, 
Wars or pestilence below; 

Wars it bids and tumults cease, 
Ush'ring in the prince of peace. 

3 Mild he shines on all beneath. 
Piercing through the shade of death; 
Scattering error's wide-spread night, 
Kindling darkness into light. 

230 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Light and salvation by Jesus Christ, 

1 "13 E ev'ry vale exalted high; 
J3 Sink ev'ry mountain low: 

The proud must stoop, and humble souls 
Shall God's salvation know. 

2 The heathen realms, with Isr'el's land, 

Shall join in sweet accord: 
And all that's born of man shall see 
The glory of the Lord. 

S Behold the morning star arise, 
Ye that in darkness sit! 



Christ and Christianity. 201 



He marks the path that leads to peace. 
And guides our doubtful feet. 

231. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
Salvation by Christ, 
X O ALVATION is for ever nigh 

k3 The souls that fear and trust the Lord; 
And grace, descending from on high, 
Fresh hopes of glory shall afford. 

2 Now truth and honour shall abound. 
Religion dwell on earth again; 
And heav'nly influence bless the ground^ 
In our Redeemer's gentle reign. 

232. 

Proper Metre. Doddridge. 
Christ the living stone* 

1 TTCTITH ecstacy of joy 

V V Extol his glorious name, 
Who rear'd the spacious earth, 
And raisM our mortal frame; 
He built the church who spread the sky. 
Shout and exalt his honours high. 

2 See the foundation laid 
By powV and love divinef 
In Christ, his best lovM Son, 
How bright his glories shine! 

Who yields to death — in dust he lies. 
That from his tomb a church might rise. 



202 Christ and Christianity. 



3 But he for ever lives, 
Nor for himself alone; 
Each saint new life derives 
From him the living stone; 

His influence spreads through every soul, 
And in one house unites the whole, 

4 To him with joy we move, 
In him cemented stand, 
The living temple grows 
And owns the founder's hand: 

That structure, Lord! still higher raise, 
Louder to sound its builder's praise. 

5 Descend and shed abroad 
The tokens of thy grace; 
And with more radiant beams 
Let glory fill the place. 

Our joyful souls shall prostrate fall. 
And own our God is all in all. 



1 T II 7 HAT works of wisdom, pow'r and 



V V love 
Do Jesus' high commission prove! 
Attest his heav'n derived claim. 
And glorify his Father's name! 

2 On eyes that never saw the day, 
He pours the bright celestial ray; 
And deafen'd ears, by him unbound, 
Catch all the harmony of sound. 





Christ and Christianity. 203 



S Lameness takes up its bed, and goes 
Rejoicing in the strength that flows 
Through evVy nerve; and, free from pain^ 
Pours forth to God the grateful strain* 

4 The shatterM mind his word restores, 
And tunes afresh the mental pow'rs; 
The dead revive, to life return. 
And bid affection cease to mourn. 

5 Canst thou, my soul, these wonders trace, 
And not admire Jehovah's grace? 
Canst thou behold thy Prophet's pow'r, 
And not the God he serv'd adore! 

234. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The example of Christ* 

1 A ND is the gospel peace and love? 
JlIl Such let our conversation be; 
The serpent blended with the dove, 
Wisdom and meek simplicity. 

2 Whene'er the angry passions rise. 

And tempt our thoughts or tongues to 
strife. 

On Jesus let us fix our eyes, 
Bright pattern of the christian life! 

3 O how benevolent and kind! 
How mild! how ready to forgive! 
Be his the temper of our mind, 
And his the rules by which we live. 



204 



Christ and Christianity* 



4 To do his heav'niy Father's will, 
Was his employment and delight: 
Humility and holy zeal 

Shone thro' his life divinely bright. 

5 Dispensing good where'er he came, 
The labours of his life were love: 
If then we love the Saviour's name, 
Let his divine example move. 



Common Metre. Watts. 

The same subject, 
1 OD of my mercy and my praise, 



I'll speak the honours of thy grace 
With a rejoicing tongue. 

2 When Christ among the sons of men, 

In humble form was found. 
With cruel slanders, false and vain, 
They compass'd him around. 

3 Their misVies his compassion mov'd, 

Their peace he still pursu'd: 
They render'd hatred for his love, 
And evil for his good. 

4 Their malice rag'd without a cause; 

Yet with his dying breath 
He pray'd for murd'rers on his cross, 
And bless'd his foes in death. 



235. 




Thy giory is my song; 



Christ and Christianity. 205 



5 O may his conduct, all-divine, 
To me a model prove: 
Like his, O God! my heart incline 
My enemies to love. 

236. 

Long Metre, Watts. "[^^^ 
The same subject. 

1 T READ my duty in the word 

X Of my Redeemer and my Lord^ 
But in his life the law appears 
Drawn out in living characters. 

2 What zeal his mission to fulfil! 
What dePrence to his Father's will! 
His love and meekness, how divine! 

I would transcribe and make them mine. 

3 Cold mountains, and the midnight air, 
Witnessed the fervour of his prayV; 
The desert his temptations knew, 
His conflicts and his vict'ries too. 

4 He is my pattern; may I bear 
More of his gracious image here! 
Then shall I find my humble name 
Among the followers of the Lamb. 

237. 

Common Metre. Dr. Enfield. , 

The same subject. 

1 T> EHOLD, where, in a mortal form, 
XJ Appears each grace divine; 



206 Christ and Christianttif. 



The virtues, all in Jesus met. 
With mildest radiance shine. 

•2 To spread the rays of heavenly light, 
To give the mourner joy. 
To preach glad tidings to the poor, 
Was his divine employ. 

3 Lowly in heart, to all his friends 

A friend and servant found, 
He washM their feet, he wipM their tearsj 
And heal'd each bleeding wound. 

4 'Midst keen reproach, and cruel scorn^ 

Patient and meek he stood; 
His foes, ungrateful, sought his life; 
He laboured for their good* 

5 To God he left his righteous cause, 

And still his task pursuM; 
While humble pray V, and holy faith 
His fainting strength renewM. 

6 In the last hour of deep distress, 

Before his Father's throne, 
With soul resigned he bowM, and said, 
" Thy will, not mine, be done!" 

7 Be Christ our pattern, and our guide! 

His image may we bear! 
O may we tread his holy steps, 
His joy and glory share! 



Christ and Christiariittjf. 



207 



238. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

Christ* s submission to his Father^ s will. 

1 " T^^ ATHER divine," the Saviour 

X cried, 
While horrors pressM on ev'ry side. 
And prostrate on the ground he lay, 
" Remove this bitter cup away. 

2 " But if these pangs must still be borne, 
And stripes, and wouads, and cruel scorn, 
I bow my soul before thy throne, 

And say — Thy willy not mine^ be done*^ 

3 Thus our submissive souls would bow, 
And, taught by Jesus, lie as low; 

Our hearts^ and not our lips alone ^ 
Would say,— Thy wtll^ not oursy be doncm 

4 Then, tho' like him in dust we lie, 
We'll view the blissful moment nigh, 
Which, from our portion in his pains, 
Calls to the joy in which he reigns. 



239. 

Common Metre. A. 

The glory of the man yesus. 

1 T "^r ELCOME the hope of Israel's race! 
V V Herald of love divine! 
Jesus, great prophet! in whose face 
C^lcbtial glories shine. 



208 Christ and Christianity. 



2 Offspring of David! son of man! 

Brother of human-kind! 
First-born of the prophetic train! 
Ray of the Father's mind! 

3 Son of the mental world, he shone, 

With beams of righteousness; 
Pour'd forth from the eternal throne, 
The fount of truth and grace. 

4 Nor heav'n-descended truth and grace 

Alone his glory show'd; 
Virtue illumined all his days, 
His life with virtue glowM. 

5 In thj^ sad hour of nature's dread. 

He sought his Father's throne; 
Breath'd out his soul, and meekly said, 
" Thy will, O God! be done." 

6 Lo! king of terrors! — there thy prey:— 

But, see heav'n swift to save! 
The captive spurns captivity, 
The conquVor is the slave. 

7 No more the man of griefs and care§; 

Of life and glory Lord; 
He calls his brethren fellow-heirs, 
Their glory — his reward. 

8 Time! hasten on thy chariot wheels; 

Bring vict'ry from the skies; 
Descend the everlasting hills; 
Bid prostrate nations rise* 



Christ and Christianity. 209 



240. 

Short Metre* Doddridge. 
Attractive influence of a crucijied Saviour » 

1 T) EHOLD th' amazing sight, 
XJ The Saviour lifted high! 

Behold the Son of God's delight 
Expire in agoiiy! 

2 For whom, for whom, my heart, 
Were all these sorrows borne? 

Why did he feel that piercing smart, 
And meet that various scorn? 

3 For love of us he bled, 
And all in torture died; 

'Twas love that bow'd his fainting head, 
And op'd his gushing side. 

4 In sympathy of love 

Let all the earUi combine; 
And, drawn by cords so gentle, prove 
The energy divine. 

5 In him our hearts unite. 
Nor share his griefs alone, 

But from his cross pursue their flight 
To his triumphant throne. 

S 2 



210 Christ and Christianity. 

,1,. A^^^n 241. 

Proper Metre. 

The death and resurrection of Jesus, 

1 T TE dies, the friend of sinntrs dies! 
Xx Lo! Salem's daughters weep around! 
A solemn darkness veils the skies! 

A sudden trembling shakes the ground! 
Here's love and grief beyond degree; 
The Lord of glory dies for man! 
But lo! what sudden joys we see! 
Jesus, the dead, revives again. 

2 Break off your tears, ye saints, and tell 
How high our great deliv'rer reigns; 
Sing how he spoil'd the hosts of hell. 
And led the monster death in chains: 
Say, " Live for ever, wondrous king! 
Born to redeem, and strong to save!" 
Then ask the monster, Where's thy sting? 
And where's thy vict'ry, boasting grave?" 

242. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
Christ glorified in his resurrection. 

1 T O! what a glorious corner-stone 
,1 J The Jewish builders did refuse! 
But God has built his church thereon, 
In spite of envy, and the Jews. 

2 Great God! the work is all divine, 
The joy and wonder of our eyes; 



Christ and Christianity^ 211 



This Is the day that proves it thine, 
The day that saw our Saviour rise. 

3 Sinners rejoice, and saints be glad; 
Hosanna! let his name be blest: 

A thousand honours on his head, 
With peace, and light, and glory restj 

4 In God's own name he comes to bring 
Salvation to our dying race; 

Let the whole church revere their king, 
And celebrate his Father's grace. 

243. 

Proper Metre. Wesleys. 
Resurrection of Christ. 

1 HR 1ST, the Lord, is ris'n to-day, 

Sons of men and angels say; 
Raise your joys and triumphs high; 
Sing, ye heav'ns, and earth reply. 

2 Love's redeeming work is done, 
Fought the fight, the battle won: 
Lo! our sun's eclipse is o'er, 
Lo! he sets in blood no more. 

3 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal! 
Christ has burst the gates of hell; 
Death in vain forbids his rise; 
Christ has open'd Paradise. 

4 Lives again our glorious king: 
Where, O death! is now thy sting? 
Dying once he all doth save: 
Where thy victory, O grave? 



^12 




'A 



NGEL, roll the rock away; 



Hallelujah! 



Death, yield up thy mighty prey; 
See! he rises from the tomb^ 
Glowing in immortal bloom. 

2 'Tis the Saviour! angels, raise 
Fame's eternal trump of praise; 
Let the world's remotest bound 
Hear the joy-inspiring sound. 

3 Shout, ye saints, in raptVous song, 
X.et the strains be sweet and strong; 
Shout the Son of God this morn 
Froni his sepulchre new-born* 

4 Hail! victorious JesuS, hail! 
On thy cloud of glory sail 

In long triumph thro' the sky^ 
Up to waiting worlds on high. 

5 Heav'n displays her portals wide, 
Glorious hero! thro' them ride; 
King of glory! mount the throne, 
Thy great Father's and thine own. 

6 Hosts of heav'n, seraphic fires! 
Raptur'd sweep your sounding lyres; 
Sons of men! in humbler strain 
Sing your mighty Saviour's reign* 



Christ and Christianity,, 



213 



7 Ev'ry note with wonder swell; 
Sin o'erthrown and captivM hell! 
Where is now, O death! thy sting? 
Where thy terrors, vanquish'd king? 

245. 

Common Metre. Doddrige. 

He is not here^ but is risen* 

1 "VT^E humble souls, that seek the LoAd, 

X Chase all your fears away; 
And bow with pleasure down to see 
The place where Jesus lay. 

2 Thus low the Lord of life was brought, 

Such wonders love can do; 
Thus cold in death that bosom lay, 
Which throbbM and bled for you. 

3 A moment give a loose to grief, 

Let grateful sorrows rise; 
And wash the bloody stains away 
With torrents from your eyes. 

4 Then dry your tears and tune your songs, 

The Saviour lives again! 
Not all the bolts and bars of death 
The conqu'ror could detain.^ 

5 High o'er th' angelic bands, he rears 

His once dishonoured head; 
And thro' unnumbered years he reigns^ 
Who dwelt among the dead.^ 



214 Christ and Christianity. 



6 With joy like his, shall evVy saint 
His empty tomb survey; 
Then rise with his ascending Lord, 
Thro' all his shining way. 

246. 

Long Metre. Butcher. 
The resurrection of Christ* 

1 TTOS ANNA! let us join to sing 
J- A The glories of our rising king; 
Recount his victories, and tell 
How Jesus triumph'd when he fell. 

2 Soon as the morning's earliest ray 
Brings on the third, th' appointed day, 
Behold the angel cleave the skies, 
Roll back the stone, and Jesus rise! 

3 With strength immortal forth he comes, 
And pow'r and life from God resumes; 
The days of pain and sorrow past, 

His triumph shall for ever last. 

4 Ye tribes of Adam, raise the song, 
And bid angelic harps prolong 
The triumphs of that day of grace. 
Which seal'd salvation to our race. 

5 SalvationjCjoy-inspiring theme! 

Best gift of him who reigns supreme; 
Sweet balm of ev*ry human woe, 
And source of boundless joy below, 

6 SalvationLsons of men, record 
The glories of your rising Lord; 



Christ and Christianity. ^15 



The triumphs of the Saviour tell, 
Who died, and conquered when he fell. 

247- 

Short Metre* 
The same subject* 

CHRISTIANS! dismiss your fear^ 
Let hope and joy succeed; 
The welcome news with gladness hear; 
The Lord is ris'n indeed! 

The shades of death withdrawn, 
His eyes their beams display: 
So wakes the sun, when rosy dawn 
Unbars the gates of day. 

Angelic hosts above, 
The rising victor sing; 
And all the blissful seats of love 
With loud hosannas ring. 

Ye pilgrims, too, below, 
Your hearts and voices raise; 
Let ev'ry breast with gladness glow, 
And ev'ry mouth be praise. 

248. 

Long Metre. Edward Taylor. 
The same subject. 

OUR Lord is risen from the dead, 
Ouj- Jesus is gone up on high: 
The powVs of hell are captive led, 
Dragged to ^e portals of the sky^ 



^16 Christ and Christianity. 



2 There his triumphal chariot waits, 
And angels chant their solemn lay: 

" Lift up your heads, ye heav'nly gates! 
Ye everlasting doors give way!" 

3 Loose all your bars of massy light, 
And wide unfold th' ethereal scene: 
He bursts the bands of death and night, 
And heav'n receives the conqu'ror in» 

4 Whom did the Lord of life subdue? 
The tyrant death his arm overcame, 
The world and hell his pow'r overthrew; 
And Jesus is the conqu'ror's name. 

5 Who Is the King of glory? Who? 

The Christ, with God's own powV possest: 
And made our King and Saviour too; 
Thanks be to God, for ever blest! 

249. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The ascension of Christ. 

1 "O EJOICE, ye shining worlds on high, 
xV Behold the King of glory nigh! 
Who can this King of glory be? 

The mighty Lord, the Saviour's he. 

2 Ye heav'nly gates, your leaves display, 
To make the Lord, the Saviour way: 
Laden with spoils from earth and hell, 
The conqu'ror comes, with God to dwell 



Christ and Christianity. 217 



3 Rais'd from the dead, he goes before, 
He opens heav'n's eternal door, 
To give his saints a blest abode, 
Near their Rcdeeoier and their Gob. 

250. 

Short Metre. Watts. 

The triumph of Chrisfs kingdom* 

1 TV /r AKER, and sovereign Lord 
IVX Of heav'n, and earth, and seas! 

Thy providence confirnvs thy word, 
And answers thy decrees. 

2 Why did the Gentiles rage, 
And Jews, with one accord. 

Bend all their counsels to destroy 
Th' anointed of the Lord? 

3 Rulers and kings agree 
To form a vain design: 

Against the Lord their powVs unite, 
Against his Christ they join. 

4 The Lord derides their rage. 
And will support his throne; 

He that hath rais'd him from the dead^ 
Hath own'd him for his son. 

5 He asks, and God bestows 
A large inheritance; 

Far as the earth's remotest ends, 
His kingdom shall advance. 

T 



218 



Christ and Christianity . 



251. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

The success of the gospel. 

1 nPHUS the Eternal Father spake 

X To Christ his son, " Ascend and sit 
At my right hand, till I shall make 
Thy foes submissive at thy feet." 

2 " From Zion shall thy word proceed; 
Thy word, the sceptre in thy hand. 
Shall make the hearts of rebels bleed. 
And bow their wills to thy command." 

3 That day shall show thy pow'r is great, 
When saints shall flock with willing minds. 
And sinners crowd thy temple gate, 
Where holiness in beauty shines." 

4 O blessed pow'r! O glorious day! 
What a great victory shall ensue! 
And converts, who thy grace obey, 
Exceed the drops of morning dew. 

252. 

Proper Metre. Doddridge. 
Blessed effects of the- gospel. 

1 TV/r ARK the soft-falling snow, 
-LVx And the descending rain! 
To heav'n from whence it fell, 
It turns not back again; 



Christ and Christianity • 



219 



But waters earth 
Thro' evVy pore, 
And calls forth all 
Her secret store. 

t ArrayM in btrauteous green 
The hills and valleys shine, 
And man and beast are fed 
By providence divine: 

The harvest bows 

Its golden ears, 

The copious seed 

Of future years. 

3 So," saith the God of grace, 
<fc My gospel shall descend, 
Almighty to effect 

The purpose I intend; 
Millions of souls 
Shall feel its pow'r, 
And bear it down 
To millions more." 

4 " Joy shall begin your march. 
And peace protect your ways. 
While all the mountains round 
Echo melodious praise: 

The vocal groves 
Shall sing the God, 
And ev'ry tree 
Consenting nod." 



9 

220 Christ and Christianity, 



253. 

Long Metre, Watts. 

The kingdom of Christ* 

1 REAT God! whose universal sway 
VX The known and unknown worlds obey; 
Extend the kingdom of thy son, 

1 ill ev'ry land his rule shall own. 

2 The sceptre well becomes his hands, 
And wise and good are his commands; 
His laws protect the humble poor, 
And bid oppression rage no more. 

3 They form to righteousness the mind, 
To all that's candid, gentle, kind; 
Inspire with love the human breast, 
And stormy passions sooth to rest. 

4 As gentle rain on parching ground, 
His gospel sheds its influence round; 
Its grace on fainting souls distils. 
Like heav'nly dew on thirsty hills. 

5 The heathen lands that lie beneath 
The shades of darkness and of death, 
Revive at its first dawning light, 
And deserts blossom at the sight. 

6 His throne immoveable shall stand, 
Upheld by thine almighty hand; 
Till all shall love thee, and adore. 
And vice and mis'ry be no more* 



Christ and Christianity* 221 



V 254. 

Common Metre. Needham. 
Prayer for the spread of the gospel. 

1 RE AT God of grace! arise and shines 
VX With bea ns of heavenly light; 
From this dark world of sin dispel 

The long and doleful night. 

2 No more maj^ senseless idols share 

The honours due to thee: 
May evVy nation know thy name, 
And thy salvation see. 

3 No more may persecution dare 

To lift her iron rod; 
No longer shed the blood of sair.ts, 
And plead a zeal for God. 

4 With its own pure and native light, 

Lord! may thy gospel shine: 
May error fly like noxious mists 
Before this light divine. 

5 Whilst heav'n-born truth her charms re- 

veals, 

May love each breast inspire; 
Nor one base passion ever mix, 
To quench this sacred fire. 



T2 



^22 Christ and Christianity* 



255. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Christ'* s kingdom among' the Gentiles » 

TO God let fervent prayVs arise 
With evVy daily sacrifice, 
The great Messiah's reign to spread, 
And with new honours crown his head. 

Soon may he reign where'er the sun 
Doth his successive journeys run; 
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, 
Till moons shall wax and wane no more. 

Great God! may realms of evVy tongue 
Dwell on thy love with sweetest song; 
And with united hearts proclaim. 
That grace arid truth by Jesus came. 

Blessings abound where'er he reigns; 
The pris'ner leaps to lose his chains: 
The weary find eternal rest. 
And contrite hearts with peace are blest. 

Where he displays his healing pow'r. 
The sting of death is known no more; 
In him the tribes of Adam boast 
More blessings than their father lost. 

Parent of good! to thee we trace 
These boundless stores of richest grace; 
All have their source in love divine, 
And be the praise and glory thine! 



Christ and Christianity. 



225 



- 256. 

Proper Metre. Cowper. 
The future peace and glory of the church. 

1 T TEAR what God, the Lord, hath 
XjL spoken: 

O my people! faint and few, 
Comfortless, afflicted, broken; 

Fair abodes I build for you: 
Themes of heartfelt tribulation 

Shall no more perplex your ways; 
You shall name your walls, salvation. 

And your gates shall all be praise. 

2 There, like streams that feed the garden, 

Pleasures, without end, shall flow; 
For the Lord, your faith rewarding. 

All his bounty shall bestow: 
Still in undistnrb'd possession. 

Peace and righteousness shall reign: 
Never shall you feel oppression. 

Hear the voice of war again. 

3 Ye, no more your suns descending, 

Waning moons no more shall see; 
But, your griefs for ever ending. 

Find eternal noon in me: 
God shall rise, and shining o'er you. 

Change to day the gloom of night; 
He, the Lord, shall be your glory, 

God your everlasting light. 



224 Christ and Christianity, 



257. 

Proper Metre. Doddridge. 

The wilderness transformed^ or the happy 
effects of the gospel* 

1 A MAZING, beauteous change! 
-IjL a world created new! 

Our thoughts with transport range 
The lovely scene to view. 

In all we trace, 

Father divine, 

The work is thine. 

Be thine the praise! 

2 See crystal fountains play 
Amidst the burning sands! 
The river's winding way 
Shines thro' the thirsty lands!^ 

New grass is seen, 
And o'er the meads 
Its carpet spreads 
Of living green. 

3 Where pointed brambles grew, 
Entwin'd with horrid thorn, 
Gay flow'rs, for ever new, 
Th' enamell'd fields adorn; 

The -blushing rose, 
And lily there 
In union fair 
Their sweets disclose. 

4 Where the bleak mountain stood, 
All bare, and disarray'd, 



Christ and Christianity. 225 



Sec the wide- branching wood 
Diffuse i!s grateful shade! 
Tall cedars nod. 
And oaks and pines, 
And elms and vines 
Confess the God» 

5 The tyrants of the plain 
Their savage chase give o'er; 
No more they rend the slain, 
And thirst for blood no more; 

But infant hands 
Fierce tigers stroke, 
And lions yoke 
In flowVy bands. 

6 O when, almighty Lord! 
Shall these glad scenes arise, 
To verify thy word, 

And bless our wondVIng eyes? 
That earth may raise, 
With all her tongues, 
United songs 
Of ardent praise. 



Proper Metre. Doddridge, 
Glory of the church in the latter day. 



And raise thy hands on high; 
Tell all the earth thy joys. 
And boast salvation nigh; 



258. 



1 




ZION, tune thy voice. 



2^6 



Christ and Christianity* 



Cheerful in God, 
Arise and shine, 
While rays divine 
Stream all abroad* 

2 He gilds thy mourning face 
With beams that cannot fade; 
His all resplendent grace 

He sheds upon thy head; 
The nations round 
Thy form shall view, 
With lustre new 
Divinely crownM. 

3 In honour to his name 
Reflect that sacred light, 
And loud that grace proclaim 
Which makes thy darkness brigh^; 

Pursue his praise. 
Till sovereign love 
In worlds above 
The glory raise. 

4 There, on his holy hill, 
A brighter sun shall rise, 
And with his radiance fill 
Those fairer, purer skies; 

While round his throne 
Ten thousand stars 
In nobler spheres 
His influence own. 



Christ and Christianity. 



227 



259. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The love of God in the gospe^. 

1 T ORD! we adore thy boundless grace, 
JLj The heights and depths unknown^ 
Of pardon, life, and joy, and peace, 

In thy beloved son. 

2 Come, all ye pining, hungry poor! 

Your Father's bounty taste; 
Behold a never-failing store, 
For evVy willing guest. 

3 Here shall your num^TOUs wants receive 

A free and full supply; 
God has unmeasur'd bliss to give, 
And joys that never die. 

4 Lord! bring unwilling souls to thee, 

By thine all gracious pow'r; 
Thy boundless love let sinners see, 
And at thy feet adore. 

260. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Invitations. 
i OME hither, all yc weary souls! 
V-/ Ye heavy-laden sinners! come: 
I'll give you rest from all your toils. 
And raise you to a heav'nly home. 



228 Christ and Christianity. 

2 They shall find rest who learn of me; 
I'm of a meek and lowly mind: 

But passion rages like the sea, 
And pride is restless as the wind. 

3 BlessM is the man whose shoulders tak^e 
My yoke, and bear it with delight; 

My yoke is easy to his neck, 

My grace shall make the burden light. 

4 Great God! we come at this command; 
With faith, and hope, and humble zeal, 

; Resign our spirits to thy hand„ 
To mould and guide us at thy will. 

261. 

Proper Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 

The same subject. 

1 OME! said Jesus' sacred voice, 
V-/ Come, and make my paths youf 

choice: 

I will guide you to your home; 
Weary pilgrim, hither come! 

2 Thou, who houseless, sole, forlorn, 
Long hast borne the proud world's scorn, 
Long hast roam'd the barren waste, 
Weary pilgrim, hither haste! 

3 Ye who, tost on beds of pain. 
Seek for ease, but seek in vain: 

Ye, whose swoll'n and sleepless eyes 
Watch to see the morning rise: 



Christ and Christianity. 



229 



4 Ye, by fiercer anguish torn, 

Guilt, in strong remorse, who mourn; 
Here repose your heavy care: 
Conscience wounded, who can bear? 

5 Sinner, come! for here is found 
Balm that flows for ev'ry wound; 
Peace that ever shall endure; 
Rest eternal, sacred, sure. 

262. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The same subject. 

1 T ET ev'ry mortal ear attend, 
I A And ev'ry heart rejoice; 

The trumpet of the gospel sounds, 
With an inviting voice. 

2 Ho! all ye hungry, starving souls, 

That feed upon the wind, 
And vainly strive with earthly toys, 
To fill an empty mind: 

3 Eternal wisdom has prepared 

A soul-reviving feast. 
And bids your longing appetites 
The rich provision taste. 

4 Ho! ye that pant for living streams, 

And pine away and die, 
Here you may quench your raging thirst, 
With springs that never dry. 

U 



230 



Christ and Christianity. 



J5 Rivers of love and mercy here 
In a rich ocean join; 
Salvation in abundance flows, 
Like floods of milk and wine. 

% The happy gates of gospel grace . 
Stand open night and day: 
Lord! we are come to seek supplies, 
And drive our wants away. 

263. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

The same subject. 

1 'TpHE Saviour calls — ^let evVy ear 

JL Attend the heav'nly sound; 
Ye doubting souls, dismiss your fear, 
Hope smiles, reviving, round. 

2 For evVy thirsty, longing heart 

Here streams of bounty flow; 
And life, and health, and bliss impart 
To banish mortal woe. 

3 Here, springs of sacred pleasure rise 

To ease your evVy pain; 
(Immortal fountain! full supplies!) 
Nor shall you thirst in vain. 

4 Ye sinners, come! 'tis Mercy's voice; 

The gracious call obey; 
Mercy invites to heav'nly joys — 
And can you yet delay? 



Christ and Christianity* 231 

5 Freely approach and welcome taste 
The blessings of his love ; 
While hope attends the sweet repast 
Of nobler joys above. 

264. 

Common Metre. Wesleys. 
The new creation by Christ* 

1 T^ATHER of Jesus Christ, my Lord,, 
J? My Saviour and my head; 

I trust in thee, whose powVful word 
Hath rais'd him from the dead. 

2 Eternal life to all mankind 

Thou hast in Jesus giv^n; 
And all who seek, thro' him, shall find 
The happiness of heav'n. 

3 Obedient faith that waits on thee. 

Thou never wilt reprove; 
But thou wilt form thy son in me, 
And perfect me in love. 

4 To thee, the glory of thy pow'r 

And faithfulness I give; 
I shall in Christ at that glad hour,^ 
And Christ in me shall live. 

265. 

Long Metre. Doddridgk. 
Christ^ s second appearing. 

1 TV /T Y wakenM soul, extend thy wings 
xVx Beyond the verge of mortal things; 



232 



Christ and Christianity* 



See this vain world in smoke decay, 
And rocks and mountains melt away. 

2 Behold the fi'ry deluge roll 

Through heav'n's wide arch from pole to 
pole! 

Pale sun — no more thy lustre boast; 
Tremble and fall ye starry host. 

3 The wreck of nature all around, 

The angel's shout, the trumpet's sound, 
Loud the descending Judge proclaim, 
And echo his tremendous name. 

4 Children of Adam, all appear 
With rev'rence round his awful bar; 
For as his lips pronounce, ye go 
To endless bliss or unknown woe. 

5 Lord! to my eyes this scene display, 
Frequent through each returning day; 
And let thy grace my soul prepare 
To find complete redemption there. 

266. 

Long Metre. Jervis. 

The same subject* 

1 'THH AT solemn day will soon arrive, 

JL TW important, the decisive day. 
When, from death's awful slumber rousM, 
God's dread command all must obey. 

2 Deep thunders usher in the morn, 

And through the heav'ns tremendous roll; 



Christ and Christianity, 233 



The wide expanse is all on fire. 

While lightnings blaze from pole U) pole, 

3 In glory, see! the Judge descends, 
ArravM in majesty and might; 
Attended by ten thousand saints, 
And angels of celestial light. 

4 The trumpet's loud and dreadful blast. 
Sounds through the regions of the dead: 
With terror some, and some with joy, 
Rise from the dust, their lowly bed. 

5 All-righteous and eternal Judge! 
When summon'd at thy bar to stand; 
May we, acquitted and approvM, 

Be crowned with bliss at thy right hand. 

267. I 

Proper Metre. Salisbury Collection. 
The same subject. 
IT O! he comes from heav'n descending, 
JLi Sent to judge both quick and dead; 
'Midst ten thousand saints and angels, 
See our great exalted head. 

Hallelujah! 
Welcome, welcome, son of God, 

2 Full of awful expectation. 

All before the Judge appear; 
Truth and justice go before him; 
Now the joyful sentence hear. 

Hallelujah! 

Welcome, welcome, Judge divine. 
U2 



234 Christ and Christianity, 



3 " Come, ye blessed of my Father, 

Enter into life and joy; 
Banish all your fear and sorrow, 
Endless praise be your employ." 

Hallelujah! 
Welcome, welcome, to the skies. 

4 Now at once they rise to glory, 

Jesus brings them to the King; 
There, with all the hosts of heav'n, 
They eternal anthems sing. 

Hallelujah^ 
Glory be to God on high. 



11 



PART IX. 



Petiitential, 

268. 

Common Metre. Cowper. 
Human frailty acknowledged* 

1 TTC TEAK and irresolute is man: 

V V The purpose of to-day. 
Woven with pains into his plan. 
To-morrow rends away. 

2 Some foe to his upright intent 

Finds out his weaker part; 
Virtue engages his assent, 
But pleasure wins his heart. 

3 Life's voyage is of awful length. 

Through dangers little known: 
A stranger to superior strength, 
Man vainly trusts his own. 

4 But oars alone can ne'er prevail 

To reach the distant coast; 
The breath of heav'n must swell the 
Or all the toil is lost. 



236 



PenitentiaL 



269. 



Common Metre. Doddridge. 



Inconstancy in Religion lamented, 
1 -QERPETUAL Source of light and 



X grace! 

We hail thy sacred name; 
Through ev'ry yearns revolving round, 
Thy goodness is the same. 

2 On us, all-worthless as we are, 

Its wondrous mercy pours; 
Sure as the heav'os establishM course, 
And plenteous as the show'rs. 

3 Inconstant service we repay. 

And treacherous vows renew; 
False as the morning's scattering cloud, 
And transient as the dew. 

4 Low at thy feet our guilt we mourn, 

And loud implore thy grace. 
To bear our feeble footsteps on, 
In all thy righteous ways. 

5 ArmM with this energy divine. 

Our souls shall constant prove. 
And, with increasing transport, press 
On to thy courts above. 

6 So, by thy powV, the morning sun 

Pursues his radiant way. 
Brightens each moment in his race, 
And shines to perfect day. 




Penitential. 



237 



270. 

Long Metre, Blacklock. 
Reliance on God's compassion to human 
xueakness, 

1 RE AT God! if nature, weak and frail, 
VJ To strong temptations oft give way; 
If doubt or passion should prevail 

O'er wand'ring reason's feeble ray: 

2 On thy compassion I rely; 

Let not thy frowns my faults repTore; 
Regard me with a father's eye. 
And guide me with a father's love. 

271. 

Proper Metre. John Taylor. 

Penitential acknowledgements ^ and suppHca" 
tions for pardon. 

1 OD of mercy! God of love! 
vT Hear our sad repentant song; 
Sorrow dwells on ev'ry face, 
Penitence on ev'ry tongue. 

2 Deep regret for follies past, 

Talents wasted, time mispent; \ 
Hearts debas'd by worldly cares. 
Thankless for the blessings lent: 

3 Foolish fears and fond desires. 
Vain regrets for things as vain; 
Lips too seldom taught to praise, 
Oft to murmur and complain. 



238 



PenitentiaL 



4 These, and ev'ry secret fault, 
FilFd with grief and shame we own j 
Humbled, at thy feet we lie, 
Seeking pardon from thy throne. 

5 God of mercy! God of grace! 
Hear our sad repentant songs; 

restore thy suppliant race. 
Thou to whom all praise belongs. 

272. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

The same subject. 

1 THOU who hear'st when sinners cry 
\Jf Though all my crimes before thee lie 
Behold them not with angry look. 

But blot their mem'ry from thy book. 

2 Renew me, O my God! within, 
Ai^d form my soul averse to sin: 
Thy freely pard'ning grace impart. 
And shed thy love thro' all my heart. 

3 Though I have oft oflfended, Lord! 
Thy help and comfort still afford; 

And hear, while prostrate at thy throne, 

1 plead, and trusty thy grace alone. 

4 A broken heart, my God, my King! 
Is all the sacrifice I bring; 

The God of grace will ne'er despise 
A broken heart for sacrifice. 



PenitentiaL 



239 



5" I cannot live without thy light, 

Cast out and banish'd from thy sight: 
Thy holy joys, my God! restore, 
And guard me that I fall no more. 

6 Then will I teach the world thy graces 
Sinners shall learn to seek thy iface, 
Forsake the evil ways they trod. 
And love and serve a pardoning God. 

273. 

Proper Metre. Merrick. 

Freedom from error ^ guilty and folly ^ implored. 

1 T> LEST Instructor! from thy ways 
XJ Who can tell how of the strays? 
Save from error's growth my mind, 
Leave not. Lord! one root behind. 

2 Purge me from the guilt that lies 
Wrapt within my heart's disguise; 
Let me thence, by thee renew'd. 
Each presumptuous sin exclude; 

3 So my lot shall ne'er be join'd 
With the men whose impious mind, 
Fearless of thy just command. 
Braves the vengeance of thy hand. 

4 Let my tongue, from error free. 
Speak the words approv'd by thee: 
To thy all observing eyes. 

Let my thoughts accepted rise. 



240 



Penitential. 



5 While I thus thy name adore, 
And thy healing grace implore, 
Blest Redeemer! bow thine ear; 
God, my strength! propitious hear- 

'/O ' 274. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Want of religious zeal Idmentedm ^ . 

1 T ONG have I sat beneath the sound, 
i ^ Of thy salvation, Lord! 

Yet still how weak my faith is found, 
And knowledge of thy word! 

2 Oft I frequent thy holy place. 

And hear almost in vain; 
What faint impressions of thy grace 
My languid pow'rs retain! 

3 How cold and feeble is my love! 

How negligent my fear! 
How low my hope of joys above! 
How few affections there! 

4 Great God! thy gracious aid impart 

To give thy word success; 
Write all its precepts on my heart, 
And deep its truths impress. 

5 O speed my progress in the way 

That leads to joys on high; 
Where knowledge grows without decay. 
And love shall never die. 



Penitential. 



241 



275. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Absence from God. 

1 THOU, whose t€«4€r mercy hears 
Contrition's humble sigh; 

Whose hand, indulgent, wipes the tears 
From sorrow's weeping eye! 

2 See! low before thy throne of grace, 

A wretched wandVer mourn; 
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face? 
Hast thou not said, Return? 

3 Absent from thee, my guidt;, my light! 

Without one cheering ray; 
Thro' dangers, fears, and gloomy night, 
How desolate my way! 

4 Q shine on this benighted heart, 

With beams of mercy shine; 
And let thy healing voice impart 
A taste of joys divine. 

5 Thy presence only can bestow 

Delights which never cloy: 
Be this my solace here below, 
And my eternal joy! 

276. ^ 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

Returning to God. 

1 T^HE Lord, how kind are all his ways, 
X When most they seem severe! 
X 



242 



PenitentiaL 



He frowns, and scourges, and rebukes, 
That we may learn his fear. 

2 With thorns he fences up our path, 

And builds a wall around, . 
To guard us from the death that lurks 
In sin's forbidden ground. 

3 Return, ye wandering souls! return. 

And seek his tender breast; 
Call back the mem'ry of the days 
When there you found your rest. 

4 Behold, O Lord! we fly to thee, 

Tho' blushes veil our face; 
Constrained our last retreat to seek 
In thy much injured grace. 

277. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Hearing the voice of God's rod. 

1 A TTEND, my soul, with rev'rent awe 
XjL The dictates of thy God; 

Silent and trembling hear the voice, 
Of his appointed rod. 

2 Now let me search and try my ways, 

And prostrate seek his face. 
Conscious of guilt, before his throne 
In dust my soul abase. 

3 Teach me, my God! what's yet unknown, 

And all my crimes forgive; 



Penitential. 



2*3 



Those crimes I would no more repeat, 
But to thy honour live. 

4 My withered joys too plainly show 
That all on earth is vain; 
In God my wounded heart confides, 
True rest and bliss to gain. 

'5 Father! I wait thy gracious call 
To leave this mournful land, 
And bathe in rivers of delight 
That flow at thy right hand. 

278. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Carter. 

Mercy to the penitent 

1 THOU, the wretched's sure retreat, 
\J Who dost our cares control, 

And, with the cheerful smile of peace, 
Revive the fainting soul! 

2 Did ever thy propitious ear 

The humble plea disdain? 
Or when did plaintive misVy sigh, 
Or supplicate in vain? 

3 Opprest with grief and shame, dissolv'd 

In penitential tears, 
Thy goodness calms our anxious doubts. 
And dissipates our fears. 

4 New life from thy refreshing grace 

Our sinking hearts receive; 
Thy gentlest, best-lov'd attribut-e, 
To pity and forgive. 



S44 



PenitenttaL 



5 From that blest scarce, propitious hope 

Appears serenely bright, 
And sheds her soft and cheering beam 
O'er sorrow's dismal night. 

6 Our hearts adore thy mercy, Lord! 

And bless the friendly ray, 
Which ushers in the smiling morn 
Of everlasting day. 



279. 

Common Metre. Jervis. 

Peace tv the returning penitent, 

1 O WEET is the friendly voice that speaks 
k3 The words of life and peace; 
Which bids the penitent rejoice, 

And sin and sorrow cease. 

2 No healing balm on earth like this 

Can cheer the contrite heart; 
No flatt'ring dreams of earthly bliss 
Such pure delight impart. 

3 Thou still art merciful and kind; 

Thy mercy. Lord! reveal: 
The broken heart 'tis thou canst bind, 
The wounded spirit heal. 

4 Let thy bright presence, Lord! restore 

Peace to my anxious breast: 
Conduct me in the path that leads 
To everlasting rest. 



PenitentiaL 



245 



280. 



Common Metre. Jervis. 

Penitent supplication^ 

1 'THHOU, Lord! in mercy wilt regard 

JL The upright and sincere: 
Thou wilt, with gracious eye, behold 
The penitential tear. 

2 Thou canst restrain wild passion's sway, 

The pow'r of vice control; 
Restore bright reason's ray divine, 
To purify the soul. 

3 O God! from error turn my feet, 

That I no more may stray; 
And guide my steps direct and safe, 
In virtue's peaceful way. 

4 Let me no more, with wilful mind, 

Thy righteous laws offend: 
Then shall I know nor guilt nor fear, 
If thou be still my friend. 



Distraction haunts the guilty breast; 
The broken heart, the troubl'd mind, 
In God alone shall succour find. 




X2 



246 



Penitential. 



2 'Tis his the wounds of vice to heal; 
The charms of mercy to reveal; 
He grants the penitent relief, 

And cheers the soul o'erwhelmM with grief* 

3 When by temptation's billows tost, 
On rocks of ruin well nigh lost; 
Still, hope, the anchor of the soul, 
Shall folly's beating wave control. 

4 To all the world's delusive joys. 
Ensnaring wiles, and empty noise, 
The sinner bids a long farewell. 
And loves with purity to dwelL 

5 In her secure and calm retreat. 
He now enjoys a tranquil state; 
Conscious that God will deign to hear 
The contrite, humble, and sincere. 

282. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 

Imploring" divine protection. 

1 ^ I ^HINE eyes in me the sheep behold, 

X Whose feet have wander'd from the 
fold; 

That guideless, helpless, strives in vain 
To find its safe retreat again: 

2 Now listens, if perchance its ear 

The shepherd's well-known voice may hear; 
Now, as the tempests round it blow. 
In plaintive accents vents its woe. 



Penitential. 



247 



3 Great Ruler of this earthly ball! 
Do thou my erring steps recall; 
O seek thou him who thee has sought, 
Nor turns from thy decrees his thought. 

283. 

Short Metre. Watts. 

Forgiveness of sin upon confession. 

1 r\ BLESSED souls are they, 
\J Whose sins are covered o'er! 

Divinely blest, to whom the Lord 
Imputes their guilt no more! 

2 They mourn their follies past, 
And keep their hearts with care; 

Their lips and lives without deceit, 
Shall prove their souls sincere. 

3 While I conceal'd my guilt, 
I felt the fest'ring wound; 

But I renounced my former sins. 
And peace and pardon found. 

4 Let sinners learn to pray; 

Let saints keep near the throne; 
Our help in time of deep distress^ 
Is found in God alone. 



PART X. 



Devout Affections and Good Resolutions. 



1 OD of my strength! to thee I cry; 
VX To thee, my surest refuge, fly: 

O may thy light attend my way, 
Thy truth afford its cheering ray! 

2 Conduct me to thy hallow'd seat, 
Where wisdom, truth, and mercy meet; 
And there, in all its best array. 

My heart its richest gifts shall pay. 

3 Thy mercies, to my heart revealM, 
A theme of endless transport yield; 
I'hy love does all my bosom fire. 
Thy praise does all my song inspire, 

4 In all our cares, in all our woes, 
On God our stedfast hopes repose; 
To God our thanks shall still be paid, 
Our sure defence, our constant aid. 



Common Metre. Miss H. M. Williams. 

Habitual devotion* 
1 T *\ 7"HILE thee I seek, protecting Pow'r! 
V V Be my vain wishes still'd; 




285. 




De'uout Affections^ &f 249 



And may this consecrated hour 
With better hopes be fill'd. 

2 Thy love the pow'rs of thought bestowMi 

To thee my thoughts would soar; 
Thy mercy o'er my life has flowM:— 
That mercy I adore! 

3 In each event of life, how clear 

Thy ruling hand I see! 
Each blessing to my soul more dear, 
Because conferrM by thee. 

4 In ev'ry joy that crowns my days, 

In ev'ry pain I bear, 
My heart shall find delight in praise^ 
Or seek relief in pray'r. 

5 When gladness wings my favoured hour, 

Thy love my thoughts shall fill: 
Resign'd, when storms of sorrow low'r. 
My soul shall meet thy will. 

6 My lifted eye, without a tear. 

The lowering storm shall see; 
My stedfast heart shall know no fear:— - 
That heart shall rest on thee! 



1 T If 7HILE thoughtless sinners choose 
V V The road that leads to death; 



286. 



Short Metre. Watts. 

Daily devotion* 




250 Devout Affections and 

I, in the service of my God, 
Will spend my daily breath, 

2 I'll worship at his throne, 
When morning brings the light; 

I'll seek his blessing evVy noon, 
And pay my vows at night. 

3 With all my anxious cares, 
I'll lean upon the Lord; 

I'll cast my burdens on his arm, 
And rest upon his word. 

4 His^ arm shall well sustain 
The children of his love; 

The ground on which their safety stands, 
No earthly pow'r can move. 

287. 

Long Metre. Walker. 
Communion with God. 

1 NOUGH of life's vain scene I've trod, 
.Mi Sweet is this interval of rest: 

With cheerful heart I meet my God, 
His presence makes me truly blest. 

2 Father and Friend! relations dear. 
Rejoicing to the human soul; 

'tti They lift us above ev'ry fear. 

And ills (if ills there be) control. 

3 Pleasant is life, and sweet the light 
That pours from the bright orb of day, 
Revealing to our raptured sight 

The world in all its rich display. 



Good Resolutions. 



2n 



4 Pleasant is life, and sweet its ties, 
The touching charities of man; 
Friend, fellow, child and parent rise, 
Endearing lifers progressive plan. 

5 But light and life would soon be vile, 
And all their dearest pleasures fall. 

Nor sun would shine, nor life would smile^ 
Without thy preseuce gladdening all. 

288. " 

Common Metre. Watts. 

God our only happiness* 

1 T^/r Y God, my portion, and my love! 
JLVX My everlasting all! 

I've none but thee in heav'n above, 
Or on this earthly balU 

2 In vain the bright meridian sun 

Scatters his feeble light: 
Thy brighter beams create my nooni 
If thou withdraw, 'tis night. 

3 And while upon my restless bed, 

Amongst the shades I roll. 
If God his light around me shed, 
'Tis morning with my soul. 

4 To thee I owe my wealth and friends, 

And health, and safe abode: 
Thanks to thy name for meaner things; 
But they are not my God. 



252 Devout Affections and 

5 Were I possessor of the earth, 

And call'd the stars my own; 
Without thy mercy and thy love, 
I were a wretch undone. 

6 Let others stretch their arms like seas, 

And grasp th' extended shore, 
Grant me to see thy blissful face, 
And I desire no more* 

289. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Support and counsel from God. 

1 T ET heathens to their idols haste, 
,1,.^ And worship wood or stone; 
But my delightful lot is cast. 

Where the one God is known, 

2 His hand provides my constant food. 

He fills my daily cup: 
Much am I pleas'd with present good, 
But more rejoice in hope. 

3 God is my portion and my joy; 

His counsels are my light: 
He gives me kind advice by day. 
And gentle hints by night. 

4 My soul would all her thoughts approve 

To his all-seeing eye; 
Nor death itself my hope shall move, 
While such' a friend is nigh. 



Good Resolutions. 253 

290. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
God our portion here and hereafter* 

1 OD, my supporter and my hope, 
vX My help for ever near! 
Thine arm of mercy held me up, 

When sinking in despair. 

2 Thy counsels, Lord! shall guide my feet 

Through this dark wilderness; 
Thy hand conduct me near thy seat 
To dwell before thy face. 

3 Were I in heav'n without my God, 

'Twould be no joy to me; 
And while this earth is my abode, 
1 long for none but thee. 

4 What if the springs of life were broke. 

And flesh and heart should faint? 
God is my soul's eternal rock. 
The strength of ev'ry saint. 

5 Behold, the sinners that remove 

Far from thy presence, die; 
Not all the idol-gods they love. 
Can save them when they cry. 

6 But to draw near to thee, my God! 

Shall be my sweet employ: 
My tongue shall sound thy works abrOad, 
And tell the world my joy. 
Y 



254 Devout Affections and 



291. 



Short Metre. Watts. 
Safety in God. 



1 7I[ 7HEN overwhelm'd with grief, 

V V My heart within me dies; 

Helpless, and far from all relief, 
To heav'n I lift mine eyes. 

2 O lead me to the rock 
That's high above my head; 

And make the covert of thy wings 
My shelter and my shade. 

3 Within thy presence, Lord! 
For ever I'll abide: 

Thou art the tow'r of my defence, 
The refuge where I hide. 

4 Thou givest me the lot 

Of those that fear ihy name: 
If endless life be their reward, 
I shall possess the same. 



Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Refuge and strength in the mercy of GoD. 

1 TV /T Y God! 'tis to thy mercy-seat 
iVX My soul for shelter flies; 
'Tis here I find a safe retreat, 
When storms and tempests rise. 




292. 



i^ood Resolutions. 



255 



2 My cheerful hope can never die, 

If thou, my God! art near: 
Thy grace can raise my comforts high, 
And banish evVy fear. 

3 My great protector, and my Lord! 

Thy constant aid impart; 
And let thy kind, thy gracious word 
Sustain my trembling heart. 

4 O nei er let my soul remove 

From this divine retreat; 
Still let me trust thy pow'r and love, 
And dwell beneath thy feet. 

293. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Hope in the contemplation of the divine per- 
fections* 

1 TT^THY sinks my weak desponding mind? 

V V Why heaves my heart the anxious 
sigh? 

Can sovVeign goodness be unkind? 
Am I not safe, if God be nigh? 

2 He holds all nature in his hand: 
That gracious hand, on which I live, 
Does life, and time, and death command, 
And has immortal joys to give. 

3 'Tis he supports this fainting frame. 
On him alone my hopes recline: 
The wondrous glories of his name, 

How wide they spread! how bright they 
shine! 



256 Devout Affections and 

4 Infinite wisdom! bonndless pow'r! 
Unclianging faithfulness and love!— 
Here let me trust, while I adore, 
Nor from my refuge e'er remove. 

5 My God! if thou art mine indeed. 
Then I have all my heart can crave; 
A present help in times of need, 
Still kind to hear, and strong to save, 

6 Forgive my doubts, O gracious Lord! 
And ease the sorrows of my breast; 
Speak to my heart the healing word. 
That thou art mine — and I am blest. 

294. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

God the only refuge of the troubled mind, 

1 \ LMIGHTY refuge of my soul! 
jLJL On thee, when sorrows rise; 
On thee, when waves of trouble roll, 

My fainting hope relies. 

2 While hope revives, though pressed with 

fears, 

And I can say, " my God," 
Before thy throne I spread my cares, 
And pour my woes abroad. 

3 To thee I tell each rising grief, 

For thou alone canst heal; 
Thy word can bring a sweet relief 
For evVy pain I feel. 



Good Resolutions. 



257 



4 But oh! when gloomy doubts prevail, 

I fear to call thee mine; 
The springs of comfort seem to fail, 
And all my hopes decline. 

5 Yet, gracious God! where shall I flee? 

Thou art my only trust; 
And still my soul would cleave to thee, 
Though prostrate in the dust. 

6 Thy mercy-seat is open still; 

Here let my soul retreat; 
With humble hope attend thy will, 
And wait beneath thy feet. 

295. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Desiring- assurance of the favour of God. 

1 TT^ TERNAL Source of joys divine! 
JLi To thee my soul aspires: 

O could I say, " the Lord is mine," 
'Tis all my soul desires. 

2 Thy smile can give me real joy, 

Unmingled and refin'd; 
Substantial bliss, without alloy. 
And lasting as the mind. 

3 Thy smile can gild the shade of woe, 

Bid stormy troubles cease; 
Spread the fair dawn of heav'n below, 
And sweeten pain to peace. 

4 My hope, my trust, my life, my Lord! 

Assure me of thy love; 

Y2 



258 Devout Affections and 

O speak the kind transporting word, 
And bid my fears remove: 

5 Then shall my thankful pow'rs rejoice, 
And triumph in my God, 
Till heav'nly rapture tune my voice 
To sound thy praise abroad, 

296; 

Proper Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 

Devout aspirations. 

1 OD, our kind Master, merciful as just, 
\J Knowing our frame, remembers man 

is dust: 

His ear is open to the softest cry; 

His grace descends to meet the lifted eye. 

2 He reads the language of the silent tear, 
And sighs are incense from a heart sincere: 
He marks the dawn of ev'ry virtuous aim. 
And fans the smoking flax into a flame. 

3 O! set me from all earthly bondage free; 
Still evVy wish that centres not in thee: 
Bid my fond hopes, my vain disquiets cease, 
And point my path to everlasting peace. 

297. 

Proper Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 

The same subject* 
1 TF, friendless, in the vale of tears I stray, 
X Where briars wound, and thorns perplex 
my way; 



Good Resolutions* 



259 



Still let my steady soul thy goodness see, 
And with strong confidence lay hold on thee, 

2 In every creature, Lord! I own thy pow'rj 
In each event thy providence adore; 

Thy promises shall cheer my drooping soul, 
Thy precepts guide me, and thy fear control. 

3 Then, when at last I quit this transient scene, 
Help me to leave it with a heart serene; 
Teach me to fix my ardent hopes on high, 
And having liv'd to thee, in thee to die. 



Common Metre. Exeter Collection. 
The Lord's prayer imitated. 



jl Immensely good and great! 
Thy children, form'd and blessed by thee, 
Approach thy heav'nly seat. 

2 Thy name in hallow'd strains be sung; 

We join the solemn praise: 
To thy great name, with heart and tongue. 
Our cheerful homage raise. 

3 Thy mild, thy wise and righteous reign, 

Let ev'ry being own; 
And in our minds, thy work divine, 
Erect thy gracious throne. 

4 As angels in the heav'nly worlds 

Thy bless'd commands fulfil; 
So may thy creatures here below 
Perform thy holy will. 



298. 




Eternal Mind! 



260 Devout Affections and 

5 On thee we day by day depend; 

Our daily wants supply; 
With truth and virtue feed our souls, 
That they may never die, 

6 Extend thy grace to ev'ry fault; 

O let thy love forgive; 
Teach us divine forgiveness too, 
Nor let resentments live. 

7 Where tempting snares bestrew the way, 

Permit us not to tread; 
Or turn all real evil far 

From our unguarded head. 

8 Thy sacred name we would adore, 

With cheerful, humble mind; 
And praise thy goodness, pow'r, and truth, 
Eternal, unconfinM. 

V 299. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

The prayer of Jacob. 

1 GOD of Jacob, by whose hand 
\J Thine Isr'el still is fed; 

Who through this weary pilgrimage 
Hast all our fathers led. 

2 To thee our humble vows we raise. 

To thee address our prayer; 
And, in thy kind and faithful breast, 
Deposit all our care. 



Good Resolutions* 261 



3 If thou, through each perplexing path 

Wilt be-our constant guide, 
If thou wilt daily bread supply 
And raiment wilt provide; 

4 If thou wilt spread thy shield around, 

Till these our wandVings cease, 
And at our Father's lovM abode 
Our souls arrive in peace; 

5 To thee, as to our cov'nant-GoD, 

WeMl our whole selves resign; 
And thankful own, that all we are, 
And all we have is thine. 

300. 

Common Metre. Select Collection* 
Aspirations after the christian temper* 

1 A LMIGHTYMaker! LoRDofall! 
jLjL Of life the only spring! 
Creator of unnumber'd worlds! 

Supreme, eternal King! 

2 Drive from the confines of my heart 

Impenitence and pride; 
Nor let me, in forbidden paths. 
With thoughtless sinners glide. 

3 What'er thine all-discerning eye 

Sees for thy creature fit; 
I'll bless the good, and to the ill 
Contentedly submit, 

4 With gen'rous pleasure let me view 

The prosp'rous and the great; 



262 Devout Affections and 

Malignant envy let me fly, 
And odious self-conceit. 

3 Let not despair, nor fell revenge, 
Be to my bosom known: 
Oh! give me tears for others' woes, 
And patience for my own. 

6 Feed me with necessary food: 

I ask not wealth or fame: 
Give me an eye to see thy will, 
A heart to bless thy name. 

7 May still my days serenely pass 

Without remorse or care; 
And growing holiness my soul 
For life's last hour prepare. 

301. 

Short Metre. Patrick. 

Virtuous desires* 

1 OD, who is just and kind, 
Vl Will those who err instruct, 

And to the paths of righteousness 
Their w^and'ring steps conduct. 

2 The humble soul he guides, 
Teaches the meek his way; 

Kindness and truth he shows to all 
Who him in truth obey. 

3 Give me the tender heart 
That mixes fear with love; 



Good Resolutions. 263 



And lead me through whatever path 
Thy wisdom shall approve. 

4 O! ever keep my soul 

From error, shame, and guilt; 
Nor suffer the fair hope to fail, 
Which on thy truth is built. 

302. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Desire of Virtue. 

1 THAT the Lord would guide my 
V>/ ways 

To keep his statutes still ! 
O that my God would grant me grace, 
To know and do his will ! 

2 Order my footsteps by thy word, 

And make my heart sincere; 
Let sin have no dominion, Lord! 
But keep my conscience clear. 

3 Assist my soul, too apt to stray, 

A stricter watch to keep; 
And, since I've not forgot thy way. 
Restore thy wand'ring sheep. 

4 Make me to walk in thy commands; 

'Tis a delightful road; 
Nor let my head, or heart, or hands^ 
Offend against my God. 



264 



Devout Affectiom and 



303. 



Common Metre. Watts. 
Desire of knowledge. 



1 nnHY mercies fill the earth, O Lord! 

Jl How good thy works appear! 
Open my eyes to read thy word, 
And see thy wonders there. 

2 My heart was fashion'd by thy hand; 

My service is thy due: 
O make thy servant understand 
The duties he must do. 

3 Since Pm a stranger here below, 

Let not thy path be hid; 
But mark the road my feet should go, 
And be my constant guide, 

4 If God to me his statutes show, 

And heav'nly truth impart, 
His work for ever I'll pursue. 
His law shall rule my heart. 

5 This was my comfort when I bore 

Variety of grief ; 
It made me prize thy word the more, 
And fly to that relief. 



J T^E ACH me, O teach me. Lord! thy 





L way; 
That to my life's remotest day, 



Good Resolutions. 



265 



By thy unerring precepts led, 

My feet thy heav'nly paths may tread. 

3 Inform'd by thee, with sacred awe, 

My heart shall meditate thy law; i 
And, with celestial wisdom fiUM, 
To thee a pure obedience yield. 

3 Give me to know thy will aright, 
Thy will, my glory and delight; 
That, rais'd above the world, my mind 
In thee its highest good may find. 

4 O turn from vanity mine eye; 

To me thy quick'ning strength supply; 
And with thy promised mercy cheer 
A heart devoted to thy fear. 

305. 

Common Metre. Cappe's Selection. 
Prayer for spiritual and eternal blessings* 

1 TERNAL Source of life and light! 
X-i Supremely good and wise! 

To thee we bring our grateful vows. 
To thee lift up our eyes. 

2 Our dark and erring minds illume 

With truth's celestial rays; 
Inspire our hearts with sacred love, 
And tune our lips to praise. 

5 Safely conduct us by thy grace, 

Through life's perplexing road. 
To pleasures, which for ever flow 
At thv right hand, O God! 
Z 



266 Devout Affections and 



306. 

Common Metre. Salisbury Collection. 
Divine injluence, 

1 'T^HINE influence, mighty God! is felt 

X Through nature's ample round; 
In heav'n, on earth, thro' air and skies, 
Thine energy is found. 

2 Father of lights! thine aid dispense 

To guide our doubtful way; 
Thy truth shall scatter ev'ry cloud 
And make a glorious day. 

3 Supported by thy heav'nly grace, 

We'll do and bear thy will; 
Thy grace shall make each burden light, 
And ev'ry murmur still. 

4 Cheer'd by thy smiles, we'll fearless tread 

The gloomy path of death; 
And, with the hope of endless bliss, 
Resign to thee our breath. 

307. 

\ Long Metre. H. M. 

Heavenly guidance implored. 

1 A MIDST a world of hopes and fears^ 
XV. A wild of cares and toils, and tears, 
Where foes alarm and dangers threat, 
And pleasures kill, and glories cheat: 

2 Shed down, O Lord! a heav'nly ray 
To guide me in the doubtful way: 



&ood Resolutions. 



267 



And o'er me hold thy shield of pow'r, 
To guard me in the dang'rous hour. 

S Teach me the flattVing paths to shun, 
In which the thoughtless many run, 
Who for a shade the substance miss, 
And grasp their ruin in their bliss. 

4 May never pleasure, wealth or pride, 
Allure my wandering soul aside; 
But thro' this maze of mortal ill. 
Safe lead me to thy heav'nly hill. 

308. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Christian zeal and diligence* 

1 \ RE not thy mercies sovereign still, 
J\ And thou a faithful God? 

Wilt thou not grant me warmer zeal 
To run the heav'nly road? 

2 I need the influence of thy grace, 

To speed me in thy way. 
Lest I should loiter in my race. 
Or turn my feet astray. 

3 Does not my heart thy precepts love, 

And long to see thy face? 
And yet how slow my spirits move. 
Without enlivening grace! 

4 Then shall I love thy gospel more, 

And ne'er forget thy word, 



268 



Devout Affections and 



When I have felt its qulck'ning pow'r, 
To draw me near the Lord. 

309. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Virtuous resolutions. 

1 THAT thy statutes ev'ry hour 
\J May dwell upon my mind! 

'Thence I derive a quickening pow'r. 
And daily peace I find. 

2 To meditate thy precepts, Lord! 

Shall be my sweet employ: 
My soul shall ne'er forget thy wordi 
Thy word is all my joy. 

3 How would I run in thy commands, 

If thou my heart discharge 
From vice and passion's hateful bands. 
And set my feet at large! 

4 My lips with courage shall declare 

Thy statutes and thy name, 
Whatever loss or scorn I bear, 
Nor yield to sinful shame. 

5 Depart from me, ye wicked race! 

Whose hands and hearts are ill: 
I love my God, I love his ways, 
And must obey his will. 



Good Resolution?^. 



269 



310. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Parting with worldly joys. 

1 T\ /r Y soul forsakes each vain delight, 
xVx And bids the world adieu: 
How mean thy boasted joys appear, 

And full of danger too! 

2 No longer will I ask your love, 

Nor seek your friendship more: 
The happiness that I approve 
Is not within your pow'r. 

3 There's nothing round this spacious eart^ 

That suits my large desire: 
To nobler and more lasting joys 
My rising thoughts aspire. 

4 Where pleasure rolls its living flood, 

From sin and sense refin'd; 
Still springing from the throne of Go» 
To cheer th' enraptur'd mind. 

311. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Devout profession of sincerity. 

1 T ET sorrow, Lord, my bosom fill, 
J—^ When impious men transgress thy will: 
Teach me to mourn when lips profane 
Take thy tremendous name in vain, 
Z 2 



270 Devout Affections and 

2 With indignation may I treat 
The works of malice and deceit; 
And ever from their friendship flee, 
Who dare to scorn thy laws and thee. 

3 Lord! search my soul, try evVy thought: 
If my own heart accuse me not 

Of walking in a vain disguise, 
I seek the trial of thine eyes* 

4} Doth secret mischief lurk within? 
Do I indulge some unknown sin? 
O turn my feet whene'er I stray. 
And lead me in thy perfect way! 

312. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
The heart laid open before God. 

1 O EARCHER of hearts! before thy face 
O I all my soul display; 

And, conscious of its innate arts, 
Intreat thy strict survey. 

2 If, lurking in its inmost folds, 

I any sin conceal, 
O! let a ray of light divine 
The secret guile reveal. 

3 If, in these fatal fetters bound, 

A wretched slave I lie. 
Smite off my chains and wake my soul 
To light and liberty. 



Good Resolutions* 



271 



4 To humble penitence and prayV 
Be gentle pity giv'n; 
Speak ample pardon to my heart, 
And seal its claim to heav'n. 

313. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Professions of sincerity^ repentance and obe- 
dience. 

1 nnHOU art my portion, O my God! 

X Soon as I know thy way, 
My heart makes haste t' obey thy word, 
And suffers no delay. 

2 I choose the path of heav'nly truth, 

And glory in my choice; 
Not all the riches of the earth 
Could make me so rejoice. 

3 The testimonies of thy grace 

I set before mine eyes; 
Thence I derive my daily strength, 
And there my comfort lies. 

4 WheneVr I wander from thy path, 

I think upon my ways; 
Then turn my feet to thy commands. 
And trust thy pard'ning grace. 

5 Now I am thine, for ever thine: 

O save thy servant, Lord! 
Thou art my shield, my hiding-place, 
My hope is in thy word. 



272 



Devout Affections and 



6 Thou hast inclinM this heart of mine 
Thy statutes to fulfil: 
And thus till mortal life shall end, 
Would I perform thy will. 

314. 

Short Metre. Doddridge. 

The living sacrifice. 

1 A ND will the eternal King 
jLjl So mean a gift reward? 

That off 'ring, Lord! with joy we bring. 
Which thy own hand prepared. 

2 We own thy various claim, 
And to thine altar move, 

The willing victims of thy grace. 
And bound with cords of love. 

3 Descend, celestial fire! 
The sacrifice inflame! 

So shall a grateful odour rise 
Through our Redeemer's name. 

315. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Holy fear^ and tenderness of conscience* 

1 T^7ITH my whole heart I've sought 
VV thy face: 
O! let me never stray 
From thy commands, O God of grace! 
Nor tread the sinner's way. 



Good Resolutions, 



273 



2 Thy word I've hid within my heart, 

To keep me pure within, 
And be an everlasting guard 
From ev'ry rising sin. 

3 My God! I long, I hope, I wait, 

For thy salvation still; 
While thy whole law is my delight, 
And I obey thy will. 

316.x 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
The wandering Sheep recovered. 

1 T ORD! we have wander'd from thy way, 
X-i Like foolish sheep have gone astray, 
Our pleasant pastures we have left, 

And of their guard our souls bereft. 

2 Expos'd to want, exposM to harm. 
Far from our gentle shepherd's arm; 
Nor will these fatal wand'rings cease, 
Till thou reveal the paths of peace. 

3 O seek thy thoughtless servants. Lord! 
Nor let us quite forget thy word; 

Our erring feet do thou restore, 
And keep us that we stray no more* 



J 



PART XL 



Motives to a virtuous Conduct. 



317. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Value of the knowledge of God. 

1 QHINE forth, Eternal Source of lightf 
O And make thy glories known; 

Fill our enlarged adoring sight 
With lustre all thy own. 

2 Vain are the charms, and faint the rays 

The brightest creatures boast; 
And all their grandeur and their praise, 
Are in thy presence lost. 

3 To know the author of our frame, 

Is our sublimest skill: 
True science is to learn his name, 
True life to do his will. 

4 For this I long, for this I pray; 

This let me still pursue, 
Till visions of eternal day 
Fix and complete the view« 



Motives to a virtuous Conduct. 2T5 



318. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele^ 
The pearl of great price. 

1 "VTE glittering toys of earth! adieu: 

X A nobler choice be mine; 
A real prize attracts my view, 
A treasure all divine. 

2 Begone, unworthy of my cares, 

Ye specious baits of sense; — 
Inestimable worth appears, 
The pearl of price immense! 

3 Should both the Indies, at my call, 

Their boasted stores resign; 
With joy I would renounce them all 
To make this jewel mine. 

4 Should earth's vain treasures all depart.^ 

Of such a gift possessed, 
I'd clasp it to my joyful heart, 
And be for ever bless'd. 

319. 

^ Proper Metre. H. M. 

Unfading' Beauty. 

1 A LL earthly charms, however dear, 
•L\. However they please the eye or ear. 

Will quickly fade and fly; 
Of earthly glory faint the blaze, 
And soon the transitory rays 

In endless darkness die. 



276 



Motives to a virtuous Conduct* 



2 The nobler beauties of the just 
Shall never moulder in the dust, 

Or know a sad decay; 
Their honours time and death defy, 
And round the throne of heav'n on high 
Beam everlasting day, 

320. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Voluntary obedience* 

1 OT by the terrors of a slave 
-L^ Do saints perform thy will; 
But with the noblest pow'rs they have 

Thy blest commands fulfil. 

2 They find access at ev'ry hour 

To God within the veil; 
Hence they derive a quick'ning powV, 
And joys that never fail. 

3 O happy men! O glorious state 

Of thy abounding grace; 
To dwell so near their Father's seat. 
And see his blissful face! 

\ 321. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Progressive virtue* 

1 1\ /T ERE human pow'rs shall fast decay, 
xSlx. And youthful vigour cease: 



Motives to a virtuous Conduct. 277 



But those who wait upon the Lord 
In strength shall still increase. 

2 They, with unwearyM feet, shall tread 

The path of life divine; 
With growing ardour onward move, 
With growing brightness shine. 

3 On eagles' wings they mount, they soari 

The wings of faith and love; 
Till, past the cloudy regions here, 
They rise to heav'n above. 

322. 

Common Metre. 
Happiness seated in the mind> 

1 tN vain, alas! from shore to shore, 
Jl In search of bliss we roam, 
And strange delights abroad explore^ 

Our best reside at home. 

2 Within the just and pious heart 

Our truest joys we find; 
Which calm and sweet repose impart,. 
And leave no sting behind* 

323. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Religion the way to happiness* 
1 HAPPINESS, thou pleasing dream! 
Where is thy substance found? 
Sought thro' the varying scenes, in vain, 
Of earth's capacious round. 
3 A 



278 3Jotives to a virtuous Conduct • 



2 Religion's sacred lamp alone 

Unerring points the way, 
Where happiness for ever shines 
With unpolluted ray: 

3 To regions of eternal peace, 

Beyond the starry skies; 
Where pure, sublime, and perfect joys 
In endless prospect rise. 

324.^ ^ 

Common Metre. Heginbotham. 

Virtue the source of Peace. 

1 T^ORSAKE, ray soul, the tents of sin; 
JL How false her joys appear! 
Noise and confusion dwell within; 

Peace is a stranger there. 

2 The men who keep the laws of God, 

His choicest blessings share; 
Or if he lifts his chast'ning rod, 
'Tis with a Father's care. 

3 His mighty pow'r shall guard the just, 

His wisdom point their way; 
His eye shall watch their sleeping dust, 
His hand revive their clay. 

4 Begin, ye saints, the joyful task. 

His praise employ your tongue; 
And soon eternity will ask 
A more exalted song* 



Motives to a virtuous Conduct. 



279 



325. 

Proper Metre, Mrs. Masters. 
The pleasures of religion, 

1 ^^T^IS religion that can give 

JL Sweetest pleasures while we live: 
'Tis religion must supply 
Solid comforts when we die, 

2 After death its joys will be 
Lasting as eternity: 

Let me then make God my friend, 
And on all his ways attend. 

326. 

Short Metre. Watts. 

The same subject. 

1 OME, ve who love the Lord! 

And let your joys be known: 
Join in a song of sweet accord, 
And thus approach his throne. 

2 The sorrows of the mind 
Be banish'd from this place! 

Religion never was design'd 
To make our pleasures less. 

3 Th' eternal God is ours, 
The God whose name is love; 

He will send down his quick'ning powVs 
To carry us above. 

4 There shall we see his face, 
And nevermore shall sin; 



280 Motives to a virtuous Conduct. 

There, from the rivers of his grace. 
Drink endless pleasures in. 

The sons of God have found, 
Glory begun below: 
Celestial fruits on earthly ground, 
From faith and hope may grow. 

Then let our songs abound, 
And evVy tear be dry: 
We're traveling thro' the paths of peace 
To fairer worlds on high. 

327. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The comforts of religion. 

t T XTHEN gloomy thoughts and boding 
VV fears 

The trembling heart invade, 
And all the face of nature wears 
An universal shade: 

2 Religion's dictates can assuage 
The tempest of the soul; 
And ev'ry fear shall lose its rage 
At her divine control. 

Thro' life's bewilder'd darksome way^ 

Her hand unerring leads; 
And o'er the path her heav'nly ray 
A cheering lustre sheds. 

When feeble reason, tir'd and blind. 
Sinks helpless and afraid; 



Motives to a virtuous conduct. 



281 



Thou blest supporter of the mind, 
How powerful is thine aid! 

5 O let my heart confess thy pow'r, 
And find thy sweet relief, 
To brighten ev'ry gloomy hour, 
And soften ev'ry grief. 

328. 

Proper Metre. H. M, 

The unrivalled beauty and glory of religion. 

1 Qi OFT are the fruitful show'rs that bring, 

The welcome promise of the spring, 

And soft the vernal gale: 
Sweet the wild warblings of the grove, 
The voice of nature and of love, 

That gladden every vale. 

2 But softer in the mourner's ear 
Sounds the mild voice of mercy near, 

That whispers sins forgiv'n; 
And sweeter far the music swells, 
When to the raptur'd soul she tells 

Of peace and promis'd heav'n. 

3 Fair are the flow'rs that deck the ground,- 
And groves and gardens blooming round, 

Unnumber'd charms unfold: 
Bright is the sun's meridian ray. 
And bright the beams of setting day, 

That robe the clouds in gold. 

4 But far more fair the pious breast, 
In richer robes of goodness drest, 

Where heav'n's own graces shine; 
2 A 2 



282 Motives to a virtuous Conduct* 

And brighter far the prospects rise 
That burst on faith's delighted eyes, 
From glories all divine. 

329. 

Long Metre. Cotton. 

A good conscience the best support. 

ITT tHILE some in folly's pleasures roll? 
V V And court the joys which hurt the 
soul; 

Be mine, that silent calm repast, 
A peaceful conscience to the last: 

2 That tree which bears immortal fruit, 
Without a canker at the root; 

That friend, who never fails the just, 
When other friends betray their trust. 

3 With this companion in the shade, 
My soul no more shall be dismayed; 
But fearless meet the midnight gloom, 
And the pale monarch of the tomb. 

4 Though heav'n afflict, I'll not repine: 
The noblest comforts still are mine; 
Comforts which over death prevail. 
And journey with me through the vale. 

5 Amidst the various scene of ills. 
Each stroke some kind design fulfils: 
And shall I murmur at my God, 
When love supreme directs the rod? 



Motives to a virtuous Conduct. 283 



6 His hand will smooth my rugged way. 
And lead me tq the realms of day; 
To milder skies and brighter plains, 
Where everlasting pleasure reigns. 



1 \ WOUNDED conscience, what a foe! 
-TV It poisons every bliss below: 

A peaceful conscience, what a friend! 
It leads to joys that never end. 

2 Supported by an honest mind, 
What rich relief can misVy find! 
How doubly joyful is success, 
When conscience ev'ry step can bless! 

3 Almighty God! thine aid we pray 
To guard us in the trying daj ; 
Wherever duty bids us go, 

A smiling conscience may we know! 



Common Metre. Salisbury Collection. 
God the Christianas refuge. 




331 




HEN storms hang o'er the Chris- 



tian's head 
He flies unto his God; 



And under his refreshing shade 
Finds a secure abode. 



284 Motives to a virtuous Conduct, 

2 When foes without, and fears within, 

Seek to disturb his peace, 
To God he makes his sorrows known, 
And straight his sorrows cease* 

3 When winds of strong temptation blow, 

And floods of trouble roll, 
God is the help, and refuge too, 
Of his distressed soul. 

4 But when tremendous terrors seize, 

Where will the sinner fly? 
He feels a thousand agonies, 
And no deliv'rer nigh! 

332. 

Short Metre. Watts 

Diff^erence betiveen the righteous and the 
wicked. 

1 'T^HE man is ever blest, 

JL Who shuns the sinners' ways, 
Amongst their counsels never stands, 
Nor takes the scorner's place: 

2 But makes the law of God 
His study and delight. 

Amidst the labours of the day, 
And watches of the night. 

3 He like a tree shall thrive, 
With waters near the root; 

Fresh as the leaf, his name shall live; 
His works are heavenly fruit. 



Motives to a virtuous Conduct. 



285 



4 Not so th' ungodly race, 
They no such blessings find: 

Their hopes shall fly like empty chafF 
Before the driving wind. 

5 God knows, and he approves 
The way the righteous go: 

But sinners and their works shall meet 
A dreadful overthrow. 

333. 

Long Metre. Blacklock. 

The same subject. 

1 T TOW blest the man, how more than 
jLI blest, 

Whose heart no guilty thoughts employ! 
God's endless sunshine fills his breast, 
And conscience whispers peace and joy. 

2 Pure rectitude's unerring way 

His heav'n-conducted steps pursue; 
While crowds in guilt and error stray, 
Unstain'd his soul, and bright his view. 

3 By God's almighty arm sustained, 
True virtue soon or late shall rise; 
Enjoy her conquest, nobly gain'd, 
And share the triumph of the skies. 

4 But fools, to sacred wisdom blind, 
Who vice's tempting call obey, 

A diffrent fate shall quickly find, 
To ev'ry storm an easy prey. 



286 Motives to a virtuotts Conduct. 

' - 334. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The character of a good man. 

1 T^T"^^ ascend thy heav'niy place, 

VV Great God! and dwell before thy 
face? 

The man who seeks thy will to know, 
And humbly walks with thee below: 

2 Whose hands are pure, whose heart is clean; 
Whose lips still speak the thing they mean; 
No slanders dwell upon his tongue; 

Nor will he do his neighbour wrong. 

3 Firm to his word he ever stood, 
And always makes his promise good: 
Nor dares to change the thing he swears, 
Whatever pain or loss he bears. 

4 He never deals in bribing gold, 

And mourns that justice should be sold; 
While others gripe and grind the poor, 
Sweet charity attends his door. 

5 He doth to all men still the same 

That he would hope or wish from them: 
This is the man thy face shall see, 
And dwell for ever. Lord! with thee. 

335. ^ 

Long Metre. Watts. 

77ie character and happiness of good men. 
1 ^T^H' Almighty reigns, exalted high 
X O^er all the earth, o'er all the sky: 



Motives to a virtuous Conduct. 287 



Tho* clouds and darkness veil his feet, 
His dwelling is the mercy-seat. 

2 O ye that love his holy nanne! 
Hate evVy work of sin and shame; 
He guards the souls of all his friends, 
And from the snares of vice defends* 

3 Immortal light, and joys unknown;, 
Are for the saints in darkness sown; 
Those glorious seeds shall spring and rise^ 
And the bright harvest bless our eyes, 

4 Rejoice, ye righteous, and record 
The sacred honours of the Lord; 
None but the men who feel his grace 
Can triumph in his holiness. 

336. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Heaven the reward of virtuous exertiojis, 

1 ^ I ^HERE is a glorious worjd on high, 

X Resplendent with eternal day; 
Faith views the blissful prospect nigh, 
While God's own word reveals the way. 

2 There shall the favVites of the Lord v 
With never fading lustre shine; 
Surprising honour! vast reward! 
Conferred on man, by love divine. 

3 How blest are those, how truly wise. 
Who learn and keep the sacred road! 
Happy the men, whom heav'n employs 
To turn rebellious hearts to God! 



288 Motives to a virtuous Conduct. 



4 To win them from the fatal way. 
Where erring folly thoughtless roves; 
And that blest righteousness display, 
Which Jesus taught, and God approves. 

5 The shining firmament shall fade, 
And sparkling stars resign their light; 
But these shall know nor change nor shade 
For ever fair, for ever bright. 

6 On wings of faith and strong desire, 
O may our spirits daily rise; 

And reach at last the shining choir, 
In the bright mansions of the skies. 

337. 

Proper Metre. Walker's Collection. 
The voyage of human life* 

1 nr^HE man whose heart from vice is clear 

X Whose deeds are honest and sincere, 

Whom God and goodness guide; 
With cautious circumspection wise, 
The rudest storms of life defines, 
And stems the mighty tide. 

2 He hears the winds tumultuous rise 
In adverse combat 'midst the skies; 

But hears without dismay: 
His pilot, God, the vessel guides, 
And o'er the steady helm presides. 

And points the destin'd way. 

3 At length he sees the promised land, 
He hails aloud the wish'd-for strand,, 

With heav'nly joy possest: 



31otives to a virtuous Conduct. 289 



His labour past, his toil now o'er, 
He lands, O Peace, on thy fair shore, 
And in his God is blest. 



Common Metre. Watts. 
The reward of the righteous* 

1 Ti /f Y God! the steps of pious men 
IVx Are ordered by thv will; 
Tho' they should fall, they rise again; 

Thy hand supports them still. 

2 The Lord delights to see their ways; 

Their virtue he approves: 
He'll ne'er deprive them of his grace, 
Nor leave the men he loves. 

3 The heav'nly heritage is theirs, 

Their portion and their home: 
He feeds them now, and makes them heirs 
Of blessings long to come. 

4 Mark then the man of righteousness! 

His sev'ral steps attend: 
True pleasure runs through all his ways^ 
And peaceful is his end. 



Long Metre. Doddridge* 
The one thing needfuL 
1 T 75 7HY will you waste, on trifling cares, 



The lives divine compassion spares, 



33^. 



339. 




2B 



290 Motives to a virtuous Conduct* 

While, in the various range of thought, 
The one thing needful is forgot? 

2 Shall God invite you from above, 
Shall Jesus urge his dying love, 

Shall troubled conscience give you pain, 
And all these pleas unite in vain? 

3 Not so your eyes will always view 
The objects which you now pursue; 
Not so eternity appear, 

When death's decisive hour is near. 

4 Almighty God! thine aid impart 
To fix conviction on the heart: 

Thy pow'r can clear the darkest eyes, 
And make the haughtiest scorner wise, 

340. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
The wise choice. 

1 T5 E SET with snares on evVy hand, 
X) In life's uncertain path I stand: 
Father Divine! diffuse thy light 

To guide my doubtful footsteps right. 

2 Engage this frail, this wav'ring heart, 
Wisely to choose the better part; 

To scorn the trifles of a day 
Far joys that never fade away. 

3 Then let the wildest storms arise; 
Let tempests mingle earth and skies; 
No fatal shipwreck shall I fear. 
But all my treasures with me bear. 



Motives to a virtuous Conduct* 



291 



4 If thou, my Father! still be nigh, 
Cheerful I live, and joyful die: 
Secure, when mortal comforts flee. 
To find ten thousand worlds in thee. 

341. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

Seeking first the kingdom of God. 

1 O W let a true ambition rise, 
-L^ And ardour fire our breast, 
To reign in worlds above the skies. 

In heav'nly glories drest. 

2 Behold Jehovah's royal hand 

A radiant crown display. 
Whose gems with vivid lustre shine, 
While suns and stars decay. 

3 No more I seek for transient good, 

Nor longer call it mine: 
I spring to seize superior joys 
Immortal and divine. 

4 Ye hearts, with youthful vigour warm. 

The glorious prize pursue; 
Nor shall ye want the goods of earth, 
While heav'n is kept in view. 



PART XII. 



The Christian Character. 

y 342. 

Common Metre. Liverpool Coll» 
The duties of piety. 

1 T\ /T Y soul, before thy Maker bowj 
xVx His wondrous works admire, 
Till rev'rence and religious awe, 

Thine inmost thoughts inspire. 

2 With humble trust dismiss thy cares, 

And on his love depend; 
Leave him to manage thine affairs, 
To him thyself commend. 

3 Let high esteem affection raise. 

Devotion warm thy breast; 
Let thaukful love excite thy praise; 
In him alone be blest. 

4 To him thy solemn homage pay; 

His constant aid implore; 
Give thanks for mercies ev'ry day, 
And thus prepare for more. 

5 Without reserve to him submit; 

All his commands fulfil; 
Acknowledge all his actions fit; 
Nor e'er oppose his will. 



The Christian Character. 293 

343. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
Faith in the invisible God. 

1 "C' TERNAL and immortal King! 

Thy peerless splendors none can bearj 
But darkness veils seraphic eyes, 
When God with all his glory's there. 

2 Yet faith can pierce the awful gloom; 
The great Invisible can see; 

And with its tremblings mingle joy, 
In fix'd regards, great God! to thee. 

3 Then ev'ry tempting form of sin, 
AwM by thy presence, disappears; 
And all the glowing rapturM soul 
The likeness it contemplates, wears. 

4 O ever conscious to my heart! 
Witness to its supreme desire; 
Bf^hold it presses on to thee, 

For it hath caught the heav'nly fire. 

5 This one petition would it urge, 
To bear thee ever in its sight: 

In life, in death, in worlds unknown^ 
Its only portion and delight. 



2 B2 



294 The Christian Character. 



344. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
GocTs name the encouragement of faith. 

1 O ING to the Lord, who loud proclaims 
k3 His various and his saving names; 

O mav they not be heard alone. 
But by our sure experience known! 

2 Let great Ji hovah be ador'd, 
Th' eternal, all-sufficient Lord; 

He, thro' the world. Most High confessed, 
By whom 'twas form'd, and is possessed. 

3 Awake, our noblest pow'rs, to bless 
The God of Abr'am, God of peace; 
Now by a dearer title known. 
Father and God of Christ his son. 

4 Thro' ev'ry age his gracious ear 
Is open to his servants' pray'r; 
Nor can one humble soul complain 
That it hath sought its God in vain. 

5 What unbelieving heart shall dare 
In whispers to suggest a fear. 
While still he owns his ancient name, 
The same his pow'r, his love the same? 

6 To thee our souls in faith arise, 
To thee we lift expecting eyes, 
And boldly thro' the desert tread; 

For God will guard where God $hall lead* 



The Christian Character. 



295 



345. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Trust in God. 

1 npH Y judgments, Lord! are deep and 

1 high; 
Unsearchable thy deeds: 
Thy glory spreads beyond the sky, 
And all our praise exceeds. 

2 The men that know thy name will trust 

In thy abundant grace; 
For thou didst ne'er forsake the just, 
Who humbly sought thy face. 

3 Salvation to the Lord belongs; 

His arm alone can save: 
Blessings attend thy people here, 
And reach beyond the grave. 

346. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The divine power and wisdom a ground of 
trust. 

1 T T AST thou not heard, hast thou not 
XT. known, 

That firm remains on high, 
The everlasting throne of Him 
Who form'd the earth and sky? 

2 Art thou afraid his powV shall fail, 

When comes thy evil day? 



296 The Christian Character. 



And can an all-creating arm 
Grow weary, or decay? 

3 Supreme in wisdom as in pow'r, 

The Rock of ages stands: 
Tho' him thou canst not see, nor trace 
The working of his hands. 

4 He gives the conquest to the weak. 

Supports the fainting heart; 
And courage, in the evil hour, 
His heavenly aids impart. 

347. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Trust in the divine goodness* 

1 T TO my God my ways commit, 
A And cheerful wait his will; 

Thy hand, which guides my doubtful feet, 
Shall my desires fulfil. 

2 All my desires to thee are known, 

Thine eye counts evVy tear: 
And ev'ry sigh and ev'ry groan 
Is noticed by thine ear. 

3 Mine innocence wilt thou display. 

And make thy judgments known, 
Fair as the light of dawning day. 
And glorious as the noon. 

4 The meek, at last, the earth possess, 

And are the heirs of heav'n: 



The Christian Character. 29T 



True riches, with abundant peace, 
To humble souls are giv'n. 

V 348. % 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Confidence in the promises of God. 

1 TT) RAISE, everlasting praise, be paid 

To him who earth's foundation laid; 
Praise to the God, whose sov'reign will 
All nature's laws and pow'rs fulfil. 

2 Praise to the goodness of the Lord, 
Who rules his people by his wi»rd; 
Where faith contemplates his decrees, 
And ev'ry gracious promise sees. 

3 O for a strong and lasting faith, 
To credit what th' Almighty saith; 
T' embrace the message ot his Son, 
And call the joys of heav'n our own! 

4 Then, should the earth's vast pillars shake. 
And all the wheels of nature break; 

Our steatsy souls should fear no more 
Than solid rocks when billows roar. 

5 Our everlasting hopes arise 
Above the perishable skits; 
And firm their basis shall remain, 
When these to chaos sink again. 



298 The Christian Character. 



349. 

Common Metre. Merrick. 
Trust in God^ under the trials of virtue. 

1 /^H! how my fears the dangers move 

That virtue's paths inclose! 
While I the wise pursuit approve, 
AlaS) what toils oppose! 

2 For see! ah, see! while yet her ways 

With doubtful step I tread, 
A hostile world its terrors raise, 
Its snares delusive spread. 

3 Oh! how shall I, with heart prepar'd. 

Those terrors learn to meet; 
How, from the thousand snares, to guard 
And to restrain my feet? 

4 But why art thou cast down, my soul? 

Say why, distrustful still. 
Thy thoughts with vain impatience roll 
O'er scenes of future iWt 

5 Let faith suppress each rising fear, 

Each anxious doubt exclude; 
Thy Maker's will hath placed thee here, 
Thy Maker wise and good! 

6 He to thy ev'ry trial knows 

Its just restraints to give; 
Attentive to behold thy woes, 
And faithful to relieve. 

7 Tho' griefs unnumber'd throng thee round, 

Still in thy God confide; 



The Christian Character. 299 



Whose finger marks the seas their bound. 
And curbs the headlong tide. 

350. 

Common Metre. Jervis, 
Conjidence in God. 

1 RE AT God! thine attributes divine. 
VT Thy glorious works and ways, 
The wonders of thy pow'r and might, 

The universe displays. 

2 In safety may thy children rest 

On thy sustaining arm; 
Extended still, and strong to save^ 
From danger and alarm. 

3 O may thy gracious presence, Lord? 

Chase anxious fears away; 
Amidst the ruins of the world, 
Our guardian and our stay. 

351. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
Glorying iji God alone. 

1 ^ I 'HE righteous Lord, supremely great, 

X Maintains his universal state; 
O'er all the earth his pow'r extends; 
All heav'n before his footstool bends. 

2 Yet justice still with pow'r presides, 
And mercy all his empire guides; 



300 The Christian Character. 



Such works are pleasing in his sight, 
And such the men of his delight. 

3 No more, ye wise, your wisdom boast; 
No more, ye strong, your valour trust; 
Nor let the rich survey his store. 
Replete with heaps of shining ore. 

4 Glory, my soul, in this alone, 

That God, thy God, to thee is known, 
That thou hast own'd his sovVeign sway, 
That thou hast felt his cheering ray. 

5 My wisdom, wealth, and powV I find 
In one Jehovah all combinM; 

On him I fix my roving eyes, 
Till all my soul in rapture rise. 

6 All else which I my treasure call, 
May in one fatal moment fall; 
But what his happiness can move 
Whom God the blessed deigns to love? 

352. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Confidence in God our Father. 

1 1\ /T Y God! my Father! cheering name! 
IVJL O may I call thee mine? 

Give me with humble hope to claim 
A portion so divine. 

2 This only can my fears control, 

Anci bid my sorrows fly; 
What real harm can reach my soul 
Beneath my Father's eye? 



The Christian Character. 301 



3 Whate'er thy providence denies 

I calmly would resign; 
For thou art just, and good and wise: 
O bend my will to thine! 

4 Whate'er thy sovereign will ordains, 

give me strength to bear; 
Still let me know a Father reigns^ 

And trust a Father's care. 

5 If pain and sickness rend this frame, 

And life almost depart; 
Is not thy mercy still the same 
To cheer my drooping heart? 

6 Thy ways, great God! are little known 

To my weak erring sight; 
Yet shall my soul, believing, own 
That all thy ways are right. 

7 My God! my Father! blissful name! 

Beyond expression dear; 
If thou admit my humble claim, 

1 bid adieu to fear. 



353. 

Long Metre. Browne. 
Dependence upon Providence. 




REAT Lord of earth, and seas, and 
skies! 



Thy wealth the needy world supplies; 
And safe beneath thy guardian arm, 
W e live secur'd from ev'ry harm. 
2C 



302 The Christian Character. 

2 To thee perpetual thanks we owe 
For all our comforts here below; 
Our daily bread thy bounty gives, 
And evVy rising want relieves. 

3 To thee we cheerful homage bring; 
In grateful hymns thy praises sing: 
On thee we ever will depend, 

The rich, the sure, the faithful friend. 

4 And should thy measures seem severe^ 
Calmly may we thy chastening bear; 
Without complaint to thee submit, 
Th' unerring judge of what is fit. 

354. 

Common Metre. Merrick. 

Acquiescence in the will of GoD. 

1 A UTHOR of good! we rest on thee 
-LJL Thine ever watchful eye 
Alone our real wants can see, 

Thy hand alone supply. 

2 O! let thy pow'r within us dwell. 

Thy love our footsteps guide; 
That love shall vainer loves expel, 
That fear, all fears beside. 

3 And since, by passion's force subdu'd. 

Too oft, with stubborn will, 
We blindly shun the latent good, 
And grasp the specious ill; 

4 Not what we wish, but what we want, 

Let mercy still supply: 



The Christian Character. 303 

The good, unaskM, let mercy grant; 
The ill, though ask'd, deny. 



355. 

Comnaon Metre. Cowper. 
Submission. 

1 LORD! my best desires fulfil, 
And help me to resign 

Life, health, and comfort to thy will, 
And make thy pleasure mine. 

2 Why should I shrink at thy command. 

Whose love forbids my fears? 
Or tremble at thy gracious hand, 
That wipes away my tears? 

3 No, let me rather freely yield 

What most I prize to thee; 
Who never hast a good withheld, 
Or wilt withhold from me. 

4 Wisdom and mercy guide my way; 

Shall I resist them both? 
Short-sighted creature of a day. 
And crushM before the moth! 

5 But ah! my heart within me cries, 

Still bind me to thy sway; 
Else, the next cloud that veils the skies. 
Drives all these thoughts away. 



304 The Christian Character* 



356. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Love to God. 

1 T "^THERE love and all the graces reign. 

V V The mind is truly blest; 
For love, the noblest of the train, 
Aids and exalts the rest. 

2 Knowledge, alas! 'tis all in vain. 

And all in vain our fear; 
Rude passions will their sway maintain, 
If love be absent there. 

3 'Tis love that makes our willing feet 

In swift obedience move; 
This is the grace that lives and reigns 
In the bright realms above. 



357. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Gratitude. 

1 T ORD! when my thoughts delighted 
X-i rove 

Amidst the wonders of thy love. 
Sweet hope revives my drooping heart, 
And bids my fears and doubts depart. 

2 Be all my heart and all my ways 
Devoted to thy fervent praise; 
And let my glad obedience prove 
How much 1 owe, how much I love. 



The Christian Character, 



358. 

Common Metre. Jervis. 

The same subject. 

1 RE AT Source of all that we enjoy^ 
V-T From whom our comforts flow! 
To thee, who dost our souls reclaim, 

Eternal thanks we owe. 

2 Though the vast debt we ne'er can pay 

Of gratitude and love; 
Yet grant us, Lord! thine aid divine, 
Thy goodness to improve. 

5 Be this, on earth, our chief delight. 
Our feeble songs to join; 
In heav'n we'll celebrate thy praise 
In anthems more divine. 

359. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Love to God and man. 

1 T^HUS saith the first, the great com- 
jL mand: 
Let all thy inward powVs unite 
To love thy Maker and thy God, 
With utmost vigour and delight, 

3 Then shall thy neighbour next in place 
Share thy affections and esteem; 
And let thy wishes for thyself 
Measure and rule thy love to him. 

2 C 2 



306 The Christian Character* 



3 Alas! how base our passions are! 
How cold our charity and zeal! 
Lord! warm our souls with heav'nly fire, 
And mould our spirits to thy will. 

360. 

Common Metre. Edinburgh Collection. 

Charity essential to the christian character. 

1 nr^HOUGH perfect eloquence adorn'd 

X The sweet persuasive tongue; 
Though I could speak in higher strains 
Than ever angels sung: 

2 Though prophecy my soul inspired, 

And made all mysiVies plain; 
Yet, were I void of christian love, 
These gifts were all in vain. 

3 Altho' with lib'ral hands } gave 

My goods the poor to feed, 
Or gave my body to the flames; 
Stiil, fruitless were the deed. 

4 Nay, tho' my faith, with boundless pow'r^ 

Ev'n mountains could remove; 
I stili am nothing, if I'm void 
Of charity and love. 



The Christian Character, ZOT 



361. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
The law of love. 

1 "TT^ AR from thy servants, God of grace! 
A Th' unfeeling heart remove; 

And form in our obedient souls, 
The image of thy love. 

2 O may our sympathizing breasts 

The gen'rous pleasure know, 
Kindly to share in others' joy. 
And weep for others' woe! 

3 Where'er the helpless sons of grief 

In low distress are laid, 
Soft be our hearts their pains to fed, 
And swift our hands to aid. 

4 O be the law of love fulfilled, 

In ev'ry act and thought; 
Each angry passion far remov'd. 
Each selfish view forgot. 

5 Be thou, my heart! dilated wide 

With this kind social grace; 
And, in one grasp of fervent love. 
All earth and heav'n embrace. 

362. 

Common Metre. Drennan. 
The same subject. 
1 A LL nature feels attractive powV, 
±\l A strong embracing force; 



^08 



The Christian Character* 



The drops that sparkle in the showV, 
The planets in their course. 

2 Thus, in the universe of mind, 

Is felt the law of love; 
The charity, both strong and kind^ 
For all that live and move, 

3 In this fine sympathetic chain, 

All creatures bear a part; 
Their ev'ry pleasure, evVy pain 
LinkM to the feeling heart. 

4 More perfect bond! the christian plan 

Attaches soul to soul; 
Our neighbour is the sulF'ring man. 
Though at the farthest pole. 

5 To earth below, from heav'n above, 

The faith^ in Christ profess'd. 
More clear reveals that God is love, 
And whom he loves is bless'd. 



Of all I have, or hope, the spring 
Send down thy spirit from above. 
And warm my heart with holy love. 

2 May I from evVy act abstain. 
That gives another grief or pain; 
Still may I feel my heart inclined 
To be the friend of aU mankind. 





GOD, my Saviour, and my King, 



The Christian Character. 309 



3 With pity let my breast overflow, 
When 1 behold a brother's woe; 
And bear a sympathizing part, 
Whene'er I meet a wounded heart. 

4 And let my neighbour's prosperous state 
A mutual joy in me create; 

His virtuous triumph let me join; 
His peace and happiness be mine. 

5 Yea, tho' my neighbour's hate I prove, 
Still let me vanquish hate with love; 
Slow to resent, tho' he would grieve, 
But always ready to forgive. 

6 Let love thro' all my conduct shine. 
An image fair, though faint, of thine; 
Let me thy humble follower prove. 
Father of men, great God of love! 

364. 

Proper Metre. John Taylor, 
Charity. 

1 f\ YE, who seek Jehovah's face, 

Bow at his throne, and feel his grace; 
Who ask in pray'r, and own in praise. 
That bounteous love which gilds your days; 
Catch from above the hallo w'd flame, 
And dignify the christian name. 

2 Where'er distress and pain appear, 
Let pity's ready hand be there; 
With cheering wine, and fragrant oil. 
Bid languor glow, and anguish smile: 



310 The Christian Character* 



Tho' woe her lowliest form may wear, 
Yet God has stamp'd his image there. 

3 When he, the sovereign Judge, draws nigh> 
And holds th' unerring beam on high; 
Then shall sweet charity prevail. 
And angels mark the sinking scale: 
Jesus shall call his followers home, 
" Ye blessed of my Father, come!" 

Hallelujah, amen! 

365. 

Common Metre. Hampson. 

The same subject. 

1 TX AUGHTERS of pity, tune the lay; 
JlJ To mourners joy belongs; 
While he that wipes all tears away 

Accepts our thankful songs. 

2 No altars smoke, no offerings bleed, 

No guiltless lives expire; 
To help a brother in his need 
Is all our rites require, 

3 Our ofF'ring is a willing mind 

To comfort the distrust; 
In others' good our own to find, 
In others' blessings blest. 

4 Go to the pillow of disease. 

Where night gives no repose, 
And on the cheek where sickness preys, 
Bid health to plant a rose. 

5 Go where the friendless stranger lies; 

To perish is his doom: 



The Christiaii Character. 31 



Snatch from the grave his closing eyes, 
And bring his blessing home. 

6 Thus, what our heavenly Father gave. 
Shall we as freely giv e; 
Thus copy him who liv'd to save. 
And died that we might live. 

366. 

Proper Metre. Blacklock. 

Benevolence, 

t TT AIL, Source of pleasures ever new! 
Xx While thy kind dictates I pursue, 

I taste a joy sincere; 
Too high for little minds to know. 
Who on themselves alone bestow 

Their wishes and their care. 

2 By thee inspired, the genVous breast, 
In blessing others only blest. 

With kindness large and free, 
Delights the widow's tears to stay, 
To teach the blind their smoothest way, 

And aid the feeble knee. 

3 O God! with sympathetic care. 

In others' joys and griefs to share, 

Do thou my heart incline; 
Each low, each selfish wish control, 
Warm with benevolence my soul, 

And make me wholly thine. 



312 The Christian Character. 



367. 

Common Metre. Drennan. 
The luxury of doing good. 

1 /^SWEETER than the fragrant flow'r, 

At ev'ning's dewy close, 
The will, united with the pow'r. 
To succour human woes! 

2 And softer than the softest strain 

Of music to the ear, 
That placid joy we give and gain 
By gratitude sincere. 

368. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Justice and equity. 

1 OME, let us search our ways and try; 
V-/ Have they been just and right? 

Is the great rule of equity 
Our practice and delight? 

2 What we would have our neighbour do. 

Have we still done the same? 
From others ne'er withheld the due 
Which we from others claim? 

3 Have we ne'er envy'd others' good, 

Ne'er envy'd others' praise? 
In no man's path malignant stood, 
Nor us'd detraction's ways? 



The Christian Character. 3 1 3 



4 Have we not, deaf to his request, 

Turn'd from another's woe? 
The scorn which wrings the sufferer's breast, 
Have we abhorr'd to show? 

5 Then may we raise our modest pray'r 

To God, the just and kind; 
May humbly cast on him our care, 
And hope his grace to find, 

6 Religion's path they never trod, 

Who equity contemn: 
Nor ever are they just to God, 
Who prove unjust to men. 

369. 

Common Metre. Walker. 
The virtuous love of country, 

1 TJARENT of all, Omnipotent 

In heav'n, and earth below! 
Thro' all creation's vast extent, 
Whose streams of goodness flow; 

2 Teach me to know from whence I rose, 

And unto what design'd; 
Nor private aims may I propose, 
Since link'd with human kind. 

S But chief to hear my country's voice 
May my best thoughts incline; 
'Tis reason's law, 'tis virtue's choice, 
'Tis nature's call, and thine. 
2D 



314 The Christian Character. 



4 Me from fair freedom's sacred cause 

May nothing e'er divide; 
Nor grandeur, gold, nor vain applause, 
Nor friendship false, misguide. 

5 To duty, honour, virtue true. 

In all my country's weal, 
Let me my public walk pursue: 
So, God, thy favour deal! 

370. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Christian zeal tempered by charity. 

1 iO RE AT God! whose all-pervading eye, 
vX Sees ev'ry passion in my soul! 
When sunk too low, or rais'd too high, 
Teach me those passions to control. 

g Temper the fervours of my frame; 
Be charity their constant spring; 
And O! let no unhallow'd flame 
Pollute the offerings I bring. 

3 Let peace with piety unite 
To mend the bias of my will; 

While hope and heav'n-ey'd faith excite, 
And wisdom regulates, my zeal: — 

4 That wisdom which to meekness turns. 
Wisdom descending from above; 
And let my zeal, whene'er it burns, 
Be kindled by the fire of love. 



The Christian Character. 315 



371. 

Long Metre. Scott. 

Against persecution and intolerance. 

1 \ BSURD and vain attempt! to bind 
±\ With iron chains the frt- e-born mind; 
To force conviction, and reclaim 

The wand'ring, by destructive flame. 

2 Bold arrogance! to snatch from heav'n 
Dominion not to mortals giv'n; 
O'er conscience to usurp the throne, 
Accountable to God alone. 

3 Jesus, thy gentle law of love 
Doth no such cruelties approve: 
Mild as thyself, thy doctrine wields 
No arms but what persuasion yields. 

4 By proofs divine, and reason strong, 
It draws the willing mind along; 
And conquests to thy church acquires 
By eloquence which heav'n inspires. 

372. 

Long Metre. Scott. 

Candour. 

1 A LL-SEEINGGod! 'tis thine to know 
XJL The springs whence wrong opinions 
flow; 

To judge, from principles within, 
When frailty errs, and when we sin. 



316 The Christian Character. 



2 Who among men, great Lord of all! 
Thy servant to his bar shall call? 
Judge him, for modes of faith, thy foe, 
And doom him to the realms of woe? 

3 Who with another's eye can read? 
Or worship by another's creed? 
Trusting thy grace we form our own, 
And bow to thy commands alone. 

4 If wrong, correct; accept, if right; 
While faithful we improve our light, 
Condemning none, but zealous still 
To learn and follow all thy will. 

373. 

Short Metre. Birmingham Coll. 
Christian unity. 

1 T ET party names no more 

JLi The Christian world overspread; 
Gentile, and Jew, and bond, and free, 
Are one in Christ their head. 

2 Among the saints on earth 
Let mutual love be found; 

Heirs of the same inheritance. 
With mutual blessings crownM. 

3 Envy and strife be gone. 
And only kindness known. 

Where all one common Father have, 
One common master own. 

4 Thus will the church below 
Resemble that above, 



The Christian Character^ Z\7 



Where springs of purest pleasure rise^ 
And evVy heart is love. 

374. I 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

Compassionate intercession for the thoughtless 
and inconsiderate • 

1 TNDULGENT God! with pitying eye 
X The sons of men survey: 

Alas! how thoughtless mortals sport 
In sin's destructive way! 

2 Ten thousand dangers lurk around, 

To bear them to the tomb: 
Each passing hour may place them where 
Repentance cannot come. 

3 Reclaim, O Lord! their wand'ring minds, 

Amus'd by airy dreams; 
That heav'nly wisdom may dispel 
Their visionary schemes. 

4 Guide and direct them by thy word, 

Their dangVous state to see; 
That they may seek and find the path 
That leads to heav'n and thee. 

375. 

Common Metre. Needham* 

Christian virtues. 

1 T TAPPY the man whose cautious steps 
XJL Still keep the golden mean; 
2 D 2 



318 The Christian Character • 



Whose life, by wisdom's rules well form'd, 
Declares a conscience clean* 

2 Not of himself he highly thinks, 

Nor acts the boaster's part: 
His modest tongue the language speaks 
Of his still humbler heart. 

3 Not in base scandal's arts he deals, 

For truth dwells in his breast: 
With grief he sees his neighbour's faults, 
And thinks and hopes the best. 

4 What blessings bounteous heav'n bestows, 

He takes with thankful heart; 
With temp'rance he both eats and drinks, 
And gives the poor a part. 

5 To sect or party his large soul 

Disdains to be confin'd; 
The good he loves of ev'ry name, 
And prays for all mankind. 

6 Not on the world his heart is set. 

His treasure is above; 
Nothing beneath the sov'reign good 
Can claim his highest love. 

Long Metre. Bristol Collection. 

Personal virtues. 

1 A WAKE, my soul! rouse ev'ry pow'r, 
JLjL Thy native dignity display: 
Let lust and passion reign no more, 
No longer own their lawless sway. 



The Christian Character. 319 



2 Thy temper meek and humble be, 
Content and pleas'd with evVy state; 
From dire revenge and envy free, 
And wild ambition to be great. 

3 Confine thy roving appetites; 

From this vain world withdraw thine cye^} 
Fix them on those divine delights. 
Which angels taste above the skies. 

4 With eager zeal pursue the prize; 
Each fleeting hour of life improve: 
This course will speak thee truly wise. 
And raise thee to the world above, 

377. 

Short Metre. Doddridge. 
The excellency of the righteous. 

1 T TOW glorious, Lord! art thou! 
XJL How bright thy splendors shine! 
Whose rays, reflected, gild thy saints 

With ornaments divine. 

2 With lowliness and love. 

Wisdom and courage meet; 
The grateful heart, the cheerful eye, 
How amiable, how sweet! 

3 In beauties such as these, 

Thy children now are drest; 
But brighter habits shall they wear 
In regions of the blest* 



S20 The Christian Charactet^ 

4 O God of IsrVl! hear, 

And make this bliss our own; 
Make us the children of thy care^ 
The members of thy son. 

378. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Prudence and Benevolence. 

1 f'\ f ^tis a lovely thing to see 
V_>/ A man of prudent heart, 
Whose thoughts, and lips, and life agree 

To act a useful part. 

2 When envy, strife, and war begin, 

In little angry souls; 
Mark! how the sons of peace come in 
And quench the kindling coals. 

3 Their minds are humble, mild and meek. 

No furious passions rise; 
Nor malice moves their lips to speak. 
Nor pride exalts their eyes. 

4 Their lives are prudence mix'd with love: 

Good works employ their day; 
Thfv join the serpent with the dove, 
But cast the sting away. 

5 Such was the Saviour of mankind, 

Such pleasures he pursuM; 
His manners gentle and refin'd, 
His soul divinely good. 



The Christian Character. 321 



379. 

Long Metre. Scott. 

Meekness* 

1 "]\/r ARK! when tempestuous winds arise, 
jLVX The wild confusion and uproar; 
All ocean mixing with the skies, 

And wrecks are dash'd upon the shore! 

2 Not less confusion racks the mind 
By its own fierce ideas tost; 
Calm reason is to rage resigned. 
And in the whirl of passion lost. 

3 O! self-tormenting child of pride. 
Anger, bred up in hate and strife; 
Ten thousand ills by thee supply'd 
Mingle the cup of bitter life. 

4 Happy the meek, whose gentle breast, 
Clear as the summer's evening ray. 
Calm as the regions of the blest, 
Enjoys on earth celestial day. 

5 No friendships broke their bosoms sting, 
No jars their peaceful tent invade; 
Secure, beneath th' Almighty wing. 
And, foes to none, of none afraid. 

6 Spirit of grace, all meek and mild! 
Inspire our breasts, our souls possess; 
Repel each passion rude and wild. 
And bless us as we aim to bless. 



322 



The Christian Character. 




1 THOU, whose scales the mountains 
V-/ weigh! 

Whose will the raging seas obey! 

Thou who canst boistVous winds control! 

Subdue the tumults of my soul. 

2 May I with equal mind sustain 
My lot of pleasure and of pain; 
May joys and sorrows gently flow. 
Nor rise too high, nor sink too low. 

3 Do thou my passions, Lord! restrain, 
And in my soul, unrivall'd, reign; 
Then, with whatever loads oppressed, 
Centered in thee, my soul shall rest. 

4 O when shall my still-wav'ring mind 
This sweetest self-possession find! 
Fountain of joy! I long to see 

In thee my peace — my heav'n in thee! 



1 Tt THEREFORE should man, frail 



Who, from the cradle to the shroud, 
Lives but the insect of a day — 
O why should mortal man be proud? 





child of clay. 



The Christian Character. 323 



2 His brightest v'isions just appear, 
Then vanish, aud no more are found; 
The stateliest pile his pride can rear, 
A breath may level with the ground. 

3 By doubt perplex'd, in error lost, 
With trembling step he seeks his way: 
How vain of wisdom's gift the boast! 
Of reason's lamp how faint the ray! 

4 Follies and crimes, a countless sum, 
Are crowded in life's little span: 
How ill, alas! does pride become 
That erring, guilty creature, man! 

5 God of my life! Father divine! 
Give me a meek and lowly mind: 
In modest worth, O let me shine, 
And peace in humble virtue find.- 



382. 

Long Metre. 
Humility and retirement. 

1 T TOW vain is grandeur's purple pride! 
Xjl And guards, and roofs of gold, how 

vain! 

Through circling guards may sorrow glide, 
And gilded roofs are claim'd by pain. 

2 Give me, great God! unknown to dwell. 
Remote from pomp, and care, and strife; 
Secure from passions that rebel. 

And shelter'd from the storms of life. 



324 



The Christian Character. 



383. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
Communing' with our hearts. 

1 T) ETURN, my roving heart, return, 
Xv And chase these shadowy forms no 

more; 

Seek out some solitude to mourn, 
And thy forsaken God implore. 

2 Wisdom and pleasure dwell at home; 
Retired and silent seek them there; 
True conquest is ourselves t' o'ercome. 
True strength to break temptation's snare. 

3. And thou, my God! whose piercing eye 
Distinct surveys each deep recess, 
In these abstracted hours draw nigh, 
And with thy presence fill the place. 

4 Through all the mazes of my heart, 
My search let heav'nly wisdom guide; 
And still its radiant beams impart, 
Till all be searched and purified. 

5 Then, with the visits of thy love, 
Vouchsafe my inmost soul to cheer; 
Till evVy grace shall join to prove. 
That God hath fix'd his dwelling there. 



The Christian Character, 



3 



384. 



Short Metre. Enfield's Collection. 
Worldly anxiety reproved. 
1 T X THY should I thus perplex 



vv My life with fruitless care^ 
With fears and hopes which idly vex. 
And oft the heart ensnare? 

2 Can anxious thoughts increase 
My years' appointed sum? 

Why waste I then my health and peace. 
To hoard for days to come? 

3 To him, these low desires, 
This sordid gain I leave. 

Who to no higher good aspires. 
Than what this world can give. 

4 Then let to-morrow's cares 
Until to-morrow stay: 

The trouble which to-day prepares^ 
Suffices for to-day. 



1 TF solid happiness we prize, 
X Within our breasts this jewel 
And they are fools who roam; 





2E 



326 The Christian Character, 



The world has little to bestow, 
From our ownselves our joys must flow; 
Our bliss begins at home. 

2 We'll therefore relish with content 
Whatever kind providence has sent, 

Nor aim beyond our pow'r; 
And if our store of wealth be small, 
With thankful hearts improve it all, 

Nor waste the present hour. 

3 To be resigned, when ills betide. 
Patient, when favours are deny'd. 

And pleas'd with favours giv'n; 
This is the wise, the virtuous part: 
This is that incense of the heart. 

Whose fragrance reaches heav'n. 

4 Thus thro* life's changing scenes we'll go 
Its checquer'd paths of joy and woe 

With cautious steps we'll tread; 
Quit its vain scenes without a tear, 
Without a trouble or a fear. 

And mingle with the dead: 

5 While conscience, like a faithful friend. 
Shall thro' the gloomy vale attend. 

And cheer our dying breath; 
Shall, when all other comforts cease. 
Like a kind angel, whisper peace. 

And smooth the bed of death. 



The Christian Character. S27 

386. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

A conversation becoming' the gospeL 

X O O let our lips and lives express 
O The holy gospel we profess; 
So let our works and virtues shine, 
To prove the doctrine all divine. 

2 Thus shall we best proclaim abroad 
The honours of our Saviour God; 
When his salvation reigns within, 
And grace subdues the powV of sin. 

3 Our flesh and sense must be deny'd, 
Passion and envy, lust and pride; 
While justice, temp Vance, truth and love, 
Our inward piety approve. 

4 Religion bears our spirits up. 
While we expect that blessed hope. 
The bright appearance of our Lord, 
And faith stands leaning on his word. 

387. 

Long Metre. Jervis. 

Integrity^ fortitude^ and hope. 

1 'THHE man, whose firm and equal mind 
A To solid glory is inclin'd. 
Determined will his path pursue. 
And keep the godlike prize in view. 



328 



The Christian Character* 



2 His calm, undaunted, manly breast, 
Of virtue, honour, truth possest. 
Will stem the torrent of the age. 
And fearless tread this mortal stage. 

3 Amidst th' assailing ills of life. 
Pride, passion, malice, envy, strife; 
He'll act his part without disguise, 
Intrepid, gen'rous, just, and wise,. 

4 In conscious rectitude secure. 
This man, unshaken, shall endure 
Of human woes the numerous train. 
Oppression, bondage, sickness, pain. 

5 And when, at last, th' eternal PowV 
Shall fix th' irrevocable hour; 

That solemn hour which none can fly, 
Since 'tis decreed that all must die: 

6 Conscious of sov'reign mercy near, 
Its voice shall banish ev'ry fear; 
While faith and hope in joys to come, 
Waft him to realms beyond the tomb. 

388. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Exemplary virtue. 

1 AH wretched souls, who strive in vain^ 
XjL Slaves to the world, and slaves to sin'! 
A nobler toil may I sustain, 
A nobler satisfaction win. 



The Christian Character^ 



2 May I resolve, with all my heart. 
With all my pow'rs to serve the Lord; 
Nor from his precepts e'er depart, 
Whose service is a rich reward. 

3 O be his service all my joy! 
Around let my example shine. 
Till others love the blest employ, 
And join in labours so divine. 

4 Be this the purpose of my soul, 
My solemn, my determined choice, 
To yield to his supreme control, 
And in his kind commands rejoice- 

5 O may I never faint nor tire, 

Nor, wandering, leave, his sacred ways; 
Great God! accept my souUs desire. 
And give me strength to live thy praise. 

389. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
Christian fortitude. 

1 OURAGE, my soul! while God is 

near. 

What enemy hast thou to fear? 
How canst thou want a sure defence, 
Whose refuge is Omnipotence? 

2 Tho' thickest dangers crowd my way, 
My God can chase my fears away: 
My stedfast heart on him relies. 
And all those dangers still defies. 

2 E 2 



330 The Christian Character* 



3 Though billows after billows roll, 
To overwhelm my sinking soul^ 
Firm as a rock my faith shall stand, 
Upheld by God's almighty hand. 

4 In life his presence is my aid; 

In death 'twill guide me thro' the shade; 
Chase all my rising fears away, 
And turn my darkness into day. 

390. 

Long Metre. Jervis. 

Fidelity in the cause of truth and virtue* 

1 O Hx\LL I forsake that Heav'nly Friend, 
O On whom my noblest hopes depend? 
Forbid it, that my wand'ring heart 

From God and virtue should depart! 

2 First let the wheels of life stand still, 
E'er I forget my Father's will; 

Or dare submit to guilty shame, 
And bring dishonour on his name. 

3 Faithful to him and to his laws. 
With zeal I would maintain his cause. 
The cause of truth and righteousness, 
'Midst trial, suff 'ring, and distress. 

4 If e'er I'm call'd t' encounter death 
For him, may I resign my breath; 
And reap, at last, the bright reward 
Which waits the servants of the Lord. 



The Christian Character. 331 



391. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

PauVs solicitude to finish his course xvith joy. 

1 A SSIST us, Lord! thy name to praise, 
JlV. For this rich gospel of thy grace; 
And, that our hearts may love it more, 
Teach them to feel its vital pow'r. 

2 With joy may we our course pursue, 
And keep the crown of life in view; 
That crown, which in one hour repays 
The labour of ten thousand days. 

3 Should bonds or death obstruct our way, 
Unmov'd, their terrors we'll survey; 
And the last hour improve for thee. 
The last of life or liberty. 

4 Welcome those bonds which may unite 
Our souls to their supreme delight; 
Welcome that death, whose painful strife 
Bears us to Christ our better life. 

392. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 

The christian warfare. 

1 A WAKE, my soul! lift up thine eyes; 
^TjL See where thy foes against thee rise, 
In long array, a num'rous host; 
Awake, my soul! or thou art lostj^ 



332 The Christian Character* 

2 Here giant danger threatening stands, 
MustVing his pale terrific bands; 
There pleasure's silken banners spread. 
And willing souls are captives led. 

3 See where rebellious passions rage, 
And fierce desires and lusts engage; 
The meanest foe of all the train 

Has thousands and ten thousands slain. 

4 Thou tread'st upon enchanted ground; 
Perils and snares beset thee round; 
Beware of all, guard ev'ry part. 

But most, the traitor in thy heart. 

5 Come then, my soul! now learn to wield 
The weight of thine immortal shield; 
Put on the armour from above 

Of heav'nly truth, and heav'nly love. 

6 The terror and the charm repel. 

And powVs of earth, and powVs of hell: 
The man of Calv'ry triumph'd here; 
Why should his faithful followers fear? 

393. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 
The pilgrimage of life. 

1 /^UR country is Immanuel's ground; 
V-^ We seek that promis'd soil: 

The songs of Zion cheer our hearts, 
While strangers here we toil. 

2 Oft do our eyes with joy overflow, 

And oft are bath'd in tears; 



The Chrlstiati Character. 



333 



Yet nought but heav'n our hopes can raise, 
And nought but sin, our fears. 

.3 The flow'rs that spring along the road, 
We scarcely stoop to pluck; 
We walk o'er beds of shining ore, 
Nor waste one wishful look, 

4 We tread the path our master trod; 
We bear the cross he bore; 
And evVy thorn that wounds our feet. 
His temples pierc'd before. 

Our pow'rs are oft dissolved away, 

In ecstacies of love; 
And while our bodies wander here, 
Our souls are fix'd above. 

6 We purge our mortal dross away, 
Refining as we run; 
But while we die to earth and sense, 
Our heav'n is here begun. 

394. 

Common Metre, Doddridge* 
The high-way to Zion* 

1 O ING, ye redeemed of the Lord, 
O Your great deliverer sing; 
Pilgrims, for Zion's city bound. 

Be joyful in your King. 

2 See the fair way his hand hath raised. 

How holy, and how plain! 



334} The Christian Character. 

Nor shall the simplest trav'Uer err, 
Nor ask the track in vain, 

3 No ravening lion shall destroy, 
Nor lurking serpent wound; 
Pleasure and safety, peace and praise 
Through all the path are found. 

4} A hand divine shall lead you on 
Along the blissful road, 
Till on the sacred mount you see^ 
The glory of your God. 

5 There, garlands of immortal joy 
Shall bloom on ev'ry head; 
While sorrow, sighing, and distress. 
Like shadows all are fled. 

% Jesus your leader's gone before, 
Pursue his footsteps still; 
And let the prospect cheer your eye^ 
While labVing up the hill. 

395. 

Short Metre. Doddridge. 

Singing in the ways of God. 

1 "^f^^ voices join. 

To form one pleasant song; 
Ye pilgrims in Jehovah's ways, 
With music pass along. , 

2 How straight the path appears, 
How open and how fair! 



The Christian Character. 



335 



No lurking gms t' entrap our feet, 
No fierce destroyer there. 

3 But flowVs of paradise. 
In rich profusion spring; 
The sun of glory gilds the path. 
And dear companions sing- 

4- See Salem's golden spires. 
In beaiuteous prospect rise! 
And brighter crowns than mortals wear. 
Which sparkle thro' the skies. 

5 All honour to his name, 
Who drew the shining trace! 

To him who leads the wand'rers o<i. 
And cheers them with his grace! 

6 Reduce the nations. Lord! 
Teach all their kings thy ways; 

That earth's full choir the notes may swell. 
And heav'n resound the praise. 

396. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

Peace proclaimed^ and the fruit of the lips 
created. 

1 TT ARK! for the great Creator speaks — 
Jn In silence let the earth attend — 
And when his words of grace are heard, 
In grateful adoration bend. 

2 " 'Tis I create the fruit of praise. 
And give the broken heart to sing: 



336 The Christian Character. 



Peace, heav'nly peace, my lips proclaim, 
Pleas'd with the happy news they bring." 

3 Receive the tidings with delight 
Ye Gentile nations from afar; 
And you, the children of his love. 
Whom grace hath brought already near. 

4 To these, to those, his sovereign hand, 
Its healing energy imparts; 

Peace, peace be chanted from your tongues,. 
And echoM from consenting hearts. 

5 Knjoy the health which God hath wrought; 
Nor let the daily tribute cease, 

Till changed for more exalted songs, 
In regions of eternal peace* 



Long Metre. Watts. 
Walking by faith and not by sight. 
1 ^nniS by the faith of joys to come. 



X We walk thro^ deserts dark as night; 
Till we arrive at heav'n our home,. 
Faith is our guide, and faith our light. 

2 The want of sight she well supplies; 
She makes the heav'nly gates appear; 
Far into distant worlds she pries, 
And brings eternal glories near. 

3 Cheerful we tread the desert through, 
While faith inspires a heav'nly ray, 



397. 




The Christian Character. 33r 



Though lions roar and tempests blow, 
And rocks and dangers fill the way, 

4 So Abr'am, by divine command, 
Left his own house to walk with God; 
His fVuh btheld the promis'd land, 
And fir'd his zeal along the road. 

398. 

Common Metre. Salisbury Collection. 
The power of faith* 

1 TnAITH adds new charms to earthly 
X bliss, 

And saves us from its snares; 
Its aid in ev'ry duty brings, 
And softens all our cares: 

2 Extinguishes the thirst of sin. 

And lights the sacred fire 
Of love to God and heav'nly things. 
And feeds the pure desire. 

3 The wounded conscience knows Its powV 

The healing balm to give; 
That balm the saddest heart can cheer. 
And make the dying live. 

4 Wide it unveils celestial worlds. 

Where deathless pleasures reign, 
And bids us seek our portion there, 
Nor bids us seek in vain. 

2 F 



"338 



The Christian Character. 



399. 



Common Metre. Mrs. Steele^ 
Faith. 

1 4 H! why should this mistaken mind 



Delight on earth expect to find, 
Yet still expect in vain? 

2 Faith, rising upward, points her view 

To regions in the skies; 
There, lovelier scenes than Eden knew 
In bright perspective rise, 

3 O! if this heav'n-born grace were mine, 

Would not my spirit soar, 
Transported gaze on joys divine. 
And cleave to earth no more? 

4 If in my heart true faith appears, 

Yet weak the sacred ray; 
Feebly aspiring, press'd with fears. 
Almost it dies away* 

5 O Thou, from whose almighty breath 

It first began to rise. 
Purge off these mists, these dregs of earth, 
And bid it reach the skies. 

6 Let this weak erring mind no more 

On earth bewilder'd rove; 
But with celestial ardor soar 
To endless joys above. 




rove with restless pain? 



The Christian Character. 6^9 



V 400. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

The Christianas prospect* 

1 T T APPY the man whose wishes climb 
JL X To mansions in the skies! 

He looks on all the joys of time 
With undesiring eyes. 

2 In vain soft pleasure spreads her charms 

And throws her silken chain; 
And wealth and fame invite his arms 
And tempt his ear in vain. 

3 He knows that all these glitt'ring things 

Must yield to sure decay; 
And sees on time's extended wings ^ 
How swift they flee away! 

4 Nor low to earth in sorrow bends, 

When pains and cares invade; 
With cheerful wing his faith ascends 
Above the gloomy shade. 

5 To things unseen by mortal eyes, 

A beam of sacred light 
Directs his viewf his prospects rise. 
All permanent and bright. 

6^ His hopes are fix'd on joys to come: 
Those blissful scenes on high 
Shall flourish in immortal bloom, 
When time and nature die. 



340 The Christian Character, 



401. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Th e ch ris tiaii race. 

1 A WAKE our souls! away our fears! 
jlIL Let evVy trembling thought be gone 
Awake, and run the heavenly race, 

And put a cheerful courage on. 

2 True, 'tis a strait and thorny road, 
And mortal spirits tire and faint; 
But they forget the mighty God, 
Who strength imparts to ev'ry saint: 

3 The mighty God, whose matchless pow'r 
Is ever new, and ever young, 

And firm endures, while endless years 
Their everlasting circles run. 

4 Swift as an eagle cuts the air. 
We'll mount aloft to thine abode: 
On wings of love our souls shall fly. 
Nor tire amidst the heav'nly road. 

402. 

Common Metre. B. B. 

The same subject* 

1 wings of love the christian flies, 

V_>^ And upward speeds his way; 
The empty world neglected lies, 
Nor cau it tempt his stay. 



The Christian Character. 341 



2 Though rav'nous beasts of prey surround, 

Yet onward still he goes; 
And resolute maintains his ground, 
When multitudes oppose. 

3 Amidst ten thousand lurking snares, 

He treads the heav'nly road; 
Drops, as he goes, his pains and cares. 
And makes his way to God. 

4 From realms of bliss he shall review 

The labours of the way; 
No sad event his grief renew. 
Nor shall his joys decay. 

403. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
The same subject. 

1 A WAKE my soul! stretch evVy nerve, 
OJL And press with vigour on: 

A heav'nly race demands thy zeal, 
And an immortal crown. 

2 A cloud of witnesses around 

Hold thee in full survey: 
Forget the steps already trod, 
And onward urge thy way. 

3 'Tis God's all-animating voice 

That calls thee from on high; 
'Tis his own hand presents the prize 
To thine aspiring eye: 
/ , 2 F2 



342 The Christian Character. 



4 That prize, with peerless glories bright, 
Which shall new lustre boast, 
When victors' wreaths and monarchs' gems 
Shall blend in common dust. 

404. 

Proper Metre. Wesley. 
The cross and crorun, 

1 T> E YOND the bounds of time and space, 
J3 Look forward to that heavenly place. 

The saint's secure abode: 
On faith's strong eagle-pinions rise, 
And force your passage to the skies, 

And scale the mount of God. 

2 Though suffering with our master here, 
We shall before his face appear, 

And by his side sit down: 
To patient faith the prize is sure, 
And all that to the end endure 

The cross, shall wear the crown. 



PART XIII. 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. 

405. 

Common Metre. Walker's Collection. 
Praise to God through all the changes of life* 

1 TT^ATHER of mercies! God of love! 
X My Father, and my God! 

I'll sing the honours of thy name, 
And spread thy praise abroad. 

2 My soul, in pleasing wonder lost, 

Thy various love surveys; 
Where shall my grateful lips begin, 
Or where conclude thy praise? 

3 In ev'ry period of my life, 

Thy thoughts of love appear: 
Thy mercies gild the transient scene, 
And crown each passing year. 

4 In all these mercies may my soul 

A father's bounty see; 
Nor let the gifts thy grace bestows 
Estrange my heart from thee. 

5 Teach me, in times of deep distress, 

To own thy hand, O God! 
And in submissive silence, hear 
The lessons of thy rod. 



344 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 



6 Thro' ev'ry changing state of life, , 

Each bright, each clouded scene; 
Give me a meek and humble mind, 
Still equal and serene. 

7 Then may I close my eyes in death. 

Free from all anxious fear; 
For death itself is life, my God! 
If thou art with me there. 

406. 

Proper Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 

Praise to God in prosperity and adversity • 

1 RAISE to God, immortal praise, 
J7 For the love that crowns our days; 
Bounteous Source of ev'ry joy! 

Let thy praise our tongues employ: 

2 For the blessings of the field; 
For the stores the gardens yield; 
For the vine's exalted juice; 
For the gen'rous olive's use. 

3 Flocks that whiten all the plain; 
Yellow sheaves of ripen'd grain; 
Clouds that drop their fatt'ning dews; 
Suns that temp'rate warmth diffuse: 

4 All that Spring, with bounteous hand, 
Scatters o'er the smiling land; 

AH that lib'ral Autumn pours 
From her rich o'erflowing stores: 

5 These to thee, our God! we owe. 
Source whence all our blessings flow! 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. 345 

And for these our souls shall raise 
Grateful vows and solemn praise. 

6 Yet should rising whirlwinds tear 
From its stem the rip'ning ear; 
Should the fig-tree's blasted shoot 
Drop her green untimely fruit: 

7 Should the vine put forth no more. 
Nor the olive yield her store: 

Tho' the sick'ning flocks should fall. 
And the herds desert the stall: 

8 Should thine alterM hand restrain 
Vernal show'rs and latter rain; 
Blast each op'ning bud of joy. 
And the rising year destroy: 

9 Yet to thee our souls shall raise ■ 
Grateful vows and solemn praise: 
And, when ev'ry blessing's flown, 
Love thee — for thyself alone! 



Common Metre. Enfield's Collection. 
Praise to God in Ufe and death. 

1 T\ /T Y soul shall praise thee, O my God! 
i.VJL Through all my mortal days; 
And to eternity prolong 

Thy vast, thy boundless praise. 

2 In each.brighl hour of peace^aMJ^ "i/^^t^ 
Be this my sweet employ: ^ 



407. 



Devotion heightens all my bliss, 
And sanctifies my joy» 




346 Afflictions and Changes of Life* 



3 When gloomy care, or keen distress. 

Invades my throbbing breast, 
My tongue shall learn to speak thy praise^ 
And sooth my pains to rest. 

4 Nor shall my tongue alone proclaim 

The honours of my God; 
My life, with all my active pow'rs, 
Shall spread thy praise abroad. 

5 And though these lips shall cease to move, 

Thouerh death sKatl close these eyes. 
Yet shall my soul to nobler heights 
(5i Jo^^]^ trajnsport rise. 

6 Then shall my pqvvVs in endless strains 

Their grateful tribute pay: 
The theme demands an angel's tongue, 
And an eternal day. 

408. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

Praise f^? God through the whole of our ex- 
istence. 

1 OD of my life! through all its days 
vT My grateful pow'rs shall sound thy 

praise; 

The song shall wake with op'ning light, 
And warble to the silent night. 

2 When anxious cares would break my rest, 
And griefs would tear my throbbing breast, 
Thy tuneful praises, rais'd on high, 

Shall check the murmur and the sigh. 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. 34r 



3 When death o'er nature shall prevail, 
And all it^ pow'rs of language fail, 

Joy through my swimming eyes shall break. 
And mean the thanks I cannot speak. 

4 But O! when that blest morn is come, 
Which breaks the slumbers of the tomb, 
With what glad accents shall I rise 

To join the music of the skies! 

5 Soon shall I learn th' exalted strains 
Which echo o'er the heav'nly plains; 
And emulate, with joy unknown. 
The glowing seraphs round thy throne. 

6 ' Praise shall employ my noblest pow'rs^ 
' While immortality endures;' 

A work so sweet, a theme so high. 
Demands, and crowns eternity. 

409. 

Common Metre. John Taylor. 
Trust in God through all the changes of life. 

1 ATHER divine! before thy view, 
J- All worlds, all creatures lie; 

No distance can elude thy search, 
No action 'scape thine eye. 

2 From thee our vital breath we drew; 

Our childhood was thy care; 
And vig'rous youth and feeble age 
Thy kind protection share. 

3 Whatever we do, where'er we turi^. 

Thy ceaseless bounty flows; 



348 Affiictions and Changes of Life. 



Oppress'd with woe, when nature faints, 
Thine arm is our repose. 

4 To thee we look, thou Pow'r Supreme, 
O still our wants supply! 
Safe in thy presence may we live, 
And in thy favour die. 

410. 

Common Metre, Darwin. 
Trust in God in prosperity and adversity. 

1 'T^HE Lord! how tender is his love! 

jL His justice, how august! 
Hence all her fears my soul derives, 
There anchors all her trust. 

2 He showVs the manna from above, 

To feed the barren waste; 
Or points with death the fiery hail, 
And famine waits the blast. 

3 Crowns, realms, and v/orlds, his wrath in 

cens'd, 

Are dust beneath his tread: 
He blights the fair, unplumes the proud, 
And shakes the learned head. 

4 He bids distress forget to groan, 

The sick from anguish cease; 
In dungeons spreads his healing wing. 
And softly whispers peace. 

5 Thy vengeance rides the rushing wind, 

Or tips the bolt with flame: 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. 349 



Thy goodness breathes in ev'ry breeze. 
And warms in ev'ry beam. 

6 For me, O Lord! whatever lot 

The hours commissioned bring; 
Do all my withering blessings die, 
Or fairer clusters spring; 

7 O! grant that still with grateful heart 

My years resigned may run; 
'Tis thine to give or to resume, 
And may thy will be done. 

411. 

Common Metre. Bristol Collection. 
Hope in affiiction. 

1 T ORD! in this wretched vale of tears, 
JLi What various woes we feel! 
Diseases, pains, and doubts, and fears 

Surround thy children siill. 

2 Darkness and dangers fill the road, 

And storms and tempests roar; 
But we march onward to our God, 
And trust his guardian powV. 

3 What though no lasting comfort's found 

Through this long wilderness? 
When we arrive on heavenly ground, 
Pleasures shall never cease. 

4 Lord! give us patience in the way. 

And let our faith be strong; 

2 G 



350 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 

Direct our footseps lest we stray, 
And guard our souls along. 

5 Death shall convey thy children home; 
Thither our hearts aspire; 
There no disease shall ever come, 
But joy shall be entire. 

412. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Hope in God. 

1 nnHE Lord can clear the darkest skic 

X Can give us day for night; 
Make drops of sacred sorrow rise 
To rivers of delight. 

2 The seed, though buried long in dust, 

Shall not deceive our hope; 
The precious grain can ne'er be lost, 
Since God insures the crop. 

3 The seeds of joy and glory, sown 

For saints in darkness here, 
Shall rise and spring in worlds unknown, 
And a rich harvest bear. 

413. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

The divine mercy moderating affliction* 

1 RE AT Ruler of all nature's frame! 
vX We own thy pow'r divine; 



Afflictions and Changes of Life, 351 



We hear thy breath in every storm, 
For all the winds are thine. 

2 Wide as they sweep their sounding way. 

They work thy sovereign will; 
And, aw'd by thy majestic voice, 
Confusion shall be still. 

3 Thy mercy tempers every blast 

To those who seek thy face; 
And mingles, with the tempest's roar. 
The whispers of thy grace. 

4 Let me those gentle whispers hear 

Till all the tumult cease; 
Sleep in thine arms, and wake in realms 
Of everlasting peace. 

414. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Divine mercy in ajjiiction. 

1 TN thy rebukes, all-gracious God! 
X What soft compassion reigns! 
What gentle accents of thy voice 

Assuage thy childrens' pains! 

2 When I correct my chosen sons, 
A father's bowels move; 

One transient moment bounds my wrath, 
But endless is my love." 

3 Our faith shall look through every tear, - 

And view thy smiling face; 



352 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 



And hope, amidst our sighs, shall tune 
An anihem to thy grace. 

415. 

Common Metre. Drennan. 

The use of affliction. 

WHY does the will of heav'n ordain 
A world so mixM with woe? 
Why pour down want, disease and pain, 
On wretched men below? 

It was, by sympathetic ties, 

The human race to bind; 
To warm the heart, to fill the eyes 

With pity for our kind:-*- 

Pity, that, like the heavenly bow. 
On darkest clouds doth shine, 

And makes, with her celestial glow, 
The human face divine. 

Where mercy takes her custom'd stand, 

To bid her flock rejoice; 
'Tis there with grace extends the hand, 

There music tunes the voice. 

And he who speaks in mercy's name, 

No fiction needs nor art; 
The still small voice of nature's claim 

Re-echoes thro' each heart. 

Where pity's frequent tear is shed^ 
There God is seen, is found; 

Descends upon the hallow'd head, 
And sheds a glory round. 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. 353 

7 But charity itself may fail, 

Which doth not active prove; 
Nor will the pray V of faith avail, 
Without the works of love. 

416. 

Long Metre. Salisbury Collection. 
Patience* 

1 ir)ATlENCE,0 'tis a grace divine! 

Sent from the God of powV and love, 
That leans upon its father's arm, 
As thro' the wilds of life we rove. 

2 By patience we serenely bear 
The troubles of our mortal state; 
And wait, contented, our discharge, 
Nor think our glory comes too late. 

3 O! for this grace to aid us on, 
And arm with fortitude the breast. 
Till, life's tumuhuous voyage o'er, 
We reach the shores of endless rest. 

^ 417. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele^ 
Submission to God under affliction. 

i "pEACE,mycomplaining,doubtingheartf 
XT Ye busy cares, be still! 
Adore the just, the sov'reign Lord, 
Nor murmur at his will. 

2 G3 



354 Afflictions nnd Changes of Life. 



2 Unerring wisdom guides his hand; 

Nor dares my guilty fear, 
Amid the sharpest pains I feel, 
Pronounce his hand severe* 

3 To soften ev'ry painful stroke, 

Indulgent mercy bends, 
And, unrepining when I plead. 
His gracious ear attends. 

4 Let me reflect, with humble awe. 

Whene'er my heart complains, 
Compared with what my sins deserve, 
How light and few my pains! 

5 Yes, Lord! I own thy sovereign hand. 

Thou just, and wise, and kind! 
Be ev'ry anxious thought supprest, 
And all my soul resigned. 

418. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Trust in God under afflictions. 

1 T "^THY is my heart with grief opprest 

V V Can all the pains I feel or fear. 
Make thee, my soul, forget thy rest, 
Forget that God, thy God, is near? 

2 Mortality's unnumber'd ills 

Are all beneath his sov'reign hand: 
Each pain which this frail body feels. 
Attends, obedient, his command. 

3 Lord! form my temper to thy will: 
If thou my faith and patience prove, 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. 3 

May ev'ry painful stroke fulfil 
Thy purposes of faithful love! 

4 O may this weak, this fainting mind, 
A father's hand, adoring, see; 
Confess thee just, and wise, and kind, 
And trust thy word, and cleave to thee! 

419. 

Common Metre. Mrs, Steele. 

Filial submission* 

1 4 ND can mv heart aspire so high, 
X\. To say, My Father, God!" 
Lord! at thy feet I fain would lie, 

And learn to kiss the rod. 

2 I would submit to all thy will, 

For thou art good and wise: 
Let ev'ry anxious thought be still, 
Nor one faint murmur rise. 

3 Thy love can cheer the darkest gloom, 

And bid me wait serene; 
Till hopes and joys immortal bloom, 
And brighten all the scene. 

420. 

Short Metre. Doddridge. 
The same subject. 
1 T TOW gracious and how wise 
JLJL Is our chastising God! 
And O! how rich the blessings are^ 
That blossom fvom his rod! 



3lS6 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 



2 He lifts it up on high, 
With pity in his heart; 
That evVy stroke his children feel 
May grace and peace impart. 

S Instructed thus, they bow, 
And own his sovereign sway; 
They turn their erring footsteps back 
To his forsaken way. 

4 His covenant love they seek, 
And seek the happy bands 

That closer still engage their hearts. 
To honour his commands. 

5 Submissive, Lord! we yield 
To discipline divine; 

And bless the pains that make us still 
More uniformly thine. 



1 AKED as from the earth we came^ 

And crept to life at first, 
We to the earth return again, 
And mingle with our dust. 

2 The dear delights we here enjoy, 

And fondly call car own, 
Are but short favours borrow'd now, 




To be repaid anoa.. 




Affltcttons and Changes of Life. 357 



3 ^Tis God who lifts our comforts high. 

Or sinks them in the grave; 
He gives," and blessed be his name, 
He takes but what he gave. 

4 Peace, all our angry passions then; 

Let each rebellious sigh 
Be silent at his sov'reign will, 
And ev'ry murmur die. 

5 If smiling mercy crown our lives, 

Its praises shall be spread; 
Nor will we call unjust, the hand 
That strikes our comforts dead. 

422. 

Common Metre. Toplady's Collection. 
True resignation. 

1 T'\7ITH God myfriend,the radiant suj^ 

V V Sheds a more lively ray: 
Each object sniiles, all nature charms; 
I sing tny ciares away. - 

2 I cannot doubt his bounteous love, 

Unmeasurably kind: 
To his unerring, gracious will, 
Be ev'ry wish resigned. 

3 Good, when he gives, supremely good; 

Nor less when he denies: 
Afflictions, from his gracious hand, 
Are blessings in disguise. 



358 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 



423. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

The same subject* 

1 T If TEAR Y of these low scenes of night, 

V V My fainting heart grows sick of 
time. 

Sighs for the dawn of sweet delight; 
Sighs for a distant, happier clime! 

2 'Tis just, tis right; thus he ordains, 
Who form'd this animated clod; 
That needful cares, instructive pains, 
May bring the restless heart to God. 

3 In him, my soul! behold thy rest; 
Nor hope for bliss below the sky; 
Come, resignation, to my breast. 
And silence ev'ry plaintive sigh. 

4 Then, cheerful shall my heart survey 
The toils and dangers of the road; 
And patient keep the heav'nly way. 
Which leads me homeward to my God. 

424. 

Proper Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Complete happiness not designed for man on 
earth. 

1 -pROVIDENCE, profusely kind, 
JL Whereso'er you turn your eyes, 
Bids you with a grateful mind 
View a thousand blessings rise* 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. S§9 



.2 But, perhaps, some friendly voice 
Softly whispers to your mind, 
Make not these alone your choice; 
Heav'n has blessings more refin'd. 

3 Thankful own what you enjoy; 
But a changing world like thisr, 
Where a thousand fears annoy. 
Cannot give you perfect bliss. 

4 Perfect bliss resides above. 
Far above yon azure sky; 
Bliss that merits all your love, 
Merits ev'ry anxious sigh, 

5 What, like this, has earth to giv^? 
O ye righteous! in your breast 
Let the admonition live. 

Nor on earth desire to rest. 

6 When your bosom heaves a sigh, 
Or your eye emits a tear. 

Let your wishes rise on high, 
Ardent rise to bliss sincere. 

425. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
True and lasting happiness. 

1 TN vain my roving thoughts would find 
X A portion worthy of the mind: 
On earth my soul can never rest, 
For earth can never make me bleist. 

2 Can lasting happiness be found, 
Where seasons roll their hastv round? 



360 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 

And days and hours with rapid flight, 
Sweep cares and pleasures out of sight? 

3 Arise my thoughts! my heart arise! 
Leave this vain world, and seek the skies; 
There joys for evermore shall last, 
When seasons, days, and hours are past.. 

4 Thy mercy, Lord! to me impart: 

O raise my thoughtless, wand'ring heart 
To pleasures perfect and sublime. 
Unmeasured by the wings of time. 

5 Let those bright worlds of endless joy. 
My thoughts, my hopes, my cares employ: 
No more, ye restless passions! roam: 
God is my bliss, and heav'n my home- 

426. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

Creatures vairiy and God the salvation of his 
people. 

1 T T O W long shall dreams of creature-bliss 
JlJL Our flattVing hopes employ? 

And mock our fond, deluded eyes 
With visionary joy? 

2 Why, from the mountains and the hills 

Is our salvation sought? 
While our Eternal Rock's disownM, 
And Israel's God forgot. 

3 The living spring neglected flows 

Full in our daily view, 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. 361 

Yet we, with anxious, fruitless toil, 
Our broken cisterns hew. 

4 These fatal errors, gracious God! 
With gentle pity see; 
To thee our roving eyes direct, 
And fix our hearts on thee. 

427. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The vanity of earthly desires* 

1 Ti /r AN has a soul of vast desires, 

Jjr JL He burns within with restless fires; 
Tost to and fro, his passions fly 
From vanity to vanity. 

2 In vain on earth we hope to find 
Some solid good to fill the mind: 
We try new pleasures, but we feel 
The inward thirst and torment still. 

3 So, when a raging fever burns, 

We shift from side to side by turns; 

And 'tis a poor relief we gain, 

To change the place, but keep the pain, 

4 Great God! subdue this vitious thirst, 
This love to vanity and dust; 

O cure the fever of the mind. 
And feed our souls with joys refin'd. 
2H 



362 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 



428. 

Common Metre, Watts. 
Earthly pleasures dangerous. 

HOW vain are all things here below! 
How false, and yet how fair! 
Each pleasure has its poison too, 
And evVy sweet a snare. 

The brightest things below the sky 

Give but a flatt'ring light; 
We should suspect some danger nigh, 

Where we possess delight. 

The fondness of a creature's love. 
How strong it strikes the sense! 

Thither the warm affections move, 
'Tis hard to call them thence. 

Be faith, and hope, and love divine, 

My soul's eternal food; 
And wean my fond, my anxious heart 

From all created good. 

429. 

Common Metre. W atts. 
The temptations of the world. 

WHEN in the light of faith divine, 
We look on things below, 
Honour, and gold, and sensual joy, 
How vain and dang'rous too! 

Honour's a puff of empty breath; 
Yet men expose their blood, 



Affltctions and Changes of Life. 363 



And venture everlasting loss 
To gain that airy good. 

3 Whilst others starve the nobler mind, 

And feed on shining dnstj 
They sacrifice eternal bliss lAkZi^ 
To mean and sordid lust. ^ ^ip/ ^ 

4 God is my all-sufficient good, i 

My portion and my choice: 
In him my vast desires are filled, 
And all mypowVs rejoice. 

430. V ^ 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

True pleasure. 

1 T TOW vain a thought is bliss below! 
JLjL 'Tis all an airy dream: 

How empty are the joys that flow 
On pleasure's smiling stream! 

2 Transparent now, and all serene, 

The gentle current flows: 
While fancy draws the flatt'ring scene, 
How fair the landscape shows! 

I But soon its transient charms decay, 
When rufiling tempests blow; 
The soft delusions fleet away, 
And pleasure ends in woe. 

O let my nobler wishes soar 

Beyond these seats of night; 
In heav'n substantial bliss explore, 
And permanent delight! 



364 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 



5 There pleasure flows for ever clear; 

And, rising to the view, 
Such dazzling scenes of joy appear, 
As fancy never drew. 

6 No fleeting landscape cheats the gaze^ 

Nor airy form beguiles; 
But everlasting bliss displays 
Her undissembled smiles. 

431. 

Common Metre. Newton. 
The instability of xvorldly enjoyments^ 
t nr^HE evils that beset our path, 
X Who can prevent, or cure? 
We stand upon the brink of death, 
When most we seem secure. 

2 If we to-day sweet peace possess. 

It soon may be withdrawn; 
Some change may plunge us in distress, 
Before to-morrow's dawn. 

3 Disease and pain invade our health, 

And find an easy prey; 
And oft, when least expected, wealth 
Takes wings and flies away. 

4 The grounds from which we look for fruit, 

Produce us often pain; 
A worm unseen attacks the root. 
And all our hopes are vain. 

5 Since sin has fiU'd the earth with woe, 

And creatures fade and die; 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. 365 



Lord! wean our hearts from things below, 
And fix our hopes on high. 

432. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
God the happiness and support of his people. 

1 1\/T Y God! whose all-pervading eye 
JLVX Views earth beneath, and heav'n 

above; 

Witness if here, or there, thou seest 
An object of mine equal love. 

2 Not the gay scenes, where mortal men 
Pursue their bliss, and find their woe, 
Detain my rising heart, which springs 
The nobler joys of heav'n to view. 

3 Not all the fairest sons of light, 
That lead the army round thy throne 
Can bound its flight; it presseth on 
And seeks its rest in God alone. 

4 Fix'd near th' immortal Source of bliss, J 
Dauntless, and joyous, it surveys / 
Each form of horror and distress, 

That all its deadliest foes can raise. 

5 This feeble flesh shall faint and die, 
This heart renew its pulse no more; 
Ev'n now it views the moment nigh, 
When life's last movements all are o'en 

6 But come, thou vanquished king of dread! 
With thy own hand thy pow'r destroy; 

2H2 



366 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 



'Tis thine to bear me to my God, 
My portion, my eternal joy. 



Common Metre. Bristol Collection. 
Happiness in God alone, 
1 ^T^HE great Creator, wise and good, 



Who forms th' unerring plan, 
Implants a strong desire of bliss 
Within his creature, man. 

2 But still these grov'ling minds of ours 

Forget their noble birth; 
And, with incessant labour, toil 
For happiness on earth. 

3 Pleasure's delusive form we trace. 

Or dig for shining ore; 
At honour's gaudy shrine we bow. 
Or grasp at boundless powV. 

4 Ah! cease, my soul, these wild pursuits, 

And upwards turn thine eyes; 
See where thy gracious Maker's hand 
Holds forth the glorious prize. 

5 This precious gem is found alone 

In his paternal love; 
Be this the centre of my hopes, 
I^or hence my passions rove. 



433. 




Afflictions and Changes of Life. 367 



434. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The hope of heaven our support under trials 
on earth, 

1 T 7[ THEN I can read my title clear 

V V To mansions in the skies, 
I bid farewell to ev'ry fear. 
And dry ray weeping eyes. 

2 Should earth against my peace engage. 

And all its darts be hurl'd; 
Then could I smile to see its rage, 
And face a frowning world. 

3 Though cares like a wild deluge come, 

And storms of sorrow fall; 
May I but safely reach my home. 
My God, my heav'n, my all: 

4 In those bright realms, thou, O my soul! 

Shalt find eternal rest; 
Nor shall a wave of trouble roll 
Across my peaceful breast. 

r 435. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Present sufferings and future glory. 

1 T TOW rich thy favours^ God of grace! 
Xx How various, how divine! 

Full as the ocean they are pourM, 
And bright as heav'n they shine. 

2 God to eternal glory calls, 

And leads the wondrous way 



368 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 

To his own palace, where he reigns 
In uncreated day. 

3 The songs of everlasting years 
That mercy shall attend. 
Which leads, thro' suff'rings of an hour, 
To joys that never end. 

436. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
God the life and light of the soul. 

1 TV /T Y God! my hope! if thou art mine, 
JLVA Why should my soul with sorrow 

pine? 

On thee alone I cast my care; 
O leave me not in dark despair. 

2 Though ev'ry comfort should depart, 
And life forsake this drooping heart; 
One smile from thee, one blissful ray, 
Can chase the shades of death away, 

3 My God! my life! if thou appear. 
Not death itself can make me fear; 
Thy presence cheers the sable gloom. 
And gilds the horrors of the tomb. 

4 Not all its horrors can affright. 

If thou appear, my God! my light! 
Thy love shall all my fears control, 
And glory dawn around my soul. 



Afftictiom and Changes of Life, 369 



437. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The same subject. 

1 l^/T Y God! to thee mv soul aspires; 
IVJL Dispel the shadf^ of dght; 
Enlarge and fill my vasi desires 

With infinite delight. 

2 Immortal joy thy smiles impart, 

Heaven dawns in ev'ry ray; 
One glimpse of thee will cheer my heart, 
And turn my night to day. 

3 Not all the good which earth bestows. 

Can fill the craving mind; 
Its highest joys have mingl'd woes, 
And leave a sting behind. 

4 Should boundless wealth increase my store. 

Can wealth my cares beguile? 
I should be wretched still, and poor, 
Without thy blissful smile. 

438. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

God our portion in the loss of earthly comforts^ 

1 HOULD famine o'er the mourning field 
O Extend her desolating reign, 

Nor spring her blooming beauties yield. 
Nor autumn swell the fruitful grain: 

2 Should lowing herds, and bleating sheep^ 
Around their famished master die; 



370 Afflictions and Changes of Life. 



And hope itself despairing weep. 
While life deplores its last supply: 

3 Amid the dark, the deathful scene, 
If I can say, The Lord is mine! 
The joy shall triumph o'er the pain, 
And glory dawn, tho' life decline. 

4 The God of my salvation lives; 
My nobler life he will sustain; 
His word immortal vigour gives. 
Nor shall my glorious hopes be vain. 

5 Thy presence. Lord! can cheer my heart, 
Though evVy earthly comfort die; 

Thy smile can bid my pains depart. 
And raise my sacred pleasures high. 

6 O let me hear thy blissful voice. 
Inspiring life and joys divine! 
The barren desert shall rejoice; 
'Tis paradise if thou art mine. 

439. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

The weeping seed- time and joyful harvest. 

1 nnHE darkened sky — how thick it lowers! 

X Troubled with storms, and big with 
show'rs; 

No cheerful gleam of light appears, 
But nature pours forth all her tears. 

2 Yet let the sons of grace revive; 

Go]> bids the soul that seeks him, live; 



Afflictions and Changes of Life. 371 

And, from the gloomiest shade of night, 
Calls forth a morning of delight. 

3 The seeds of ecstacy unknown, 
Are in these watered furrows sown. 

See the green blades! how quick they rise! 
And with fresh verdure bless our eyes, 

4 In secret foldings they contain 
Unnumber'd ears of golden grain; 
And heav'n shall pour its beams around, 
Till the ripe harvest load the ground. 

5 Then shall the trembling mourner come, 
And find his sheaves, and bring them homei; 
The voice, long broke with sighs, shall sing,. 
Till heav'n with hallelujahs ring. 



PART XIV. 



Life^ Deaths Judgment^ and a Future 
State. 

440. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The shortness of life and the goodness of God. 

1 'T^IME! what an empty vapour 'tis! 

JL Our days, how swift they are! 
Swift as an Indian arrow flies, 
Or like a shooting star. 

2 Successive moments just appear, 

Then slide away in haste; 
Nor can we ever say — they're here," 
But only — " they are past." 

3 Our life is ever on the wing, 

And death is ever nigh; 
To live, no sooner we begin, 
Than we begin to die. 

4 Yet, mighty God! our fleeting days 

Thy constant favours share; 
Thy bounties, in ten thousand ways, 
Still crown the rolling year. 

5 His goodness runs an endless round; 

All glory to the Lord! 



Life^ Deaths Judgment^ ^c. 373 



His mercy never knows a bound, 
And be his name ador'd. 

6 Thus we begin the lasting song; 
And when in dust we lie, 
Let age to age thy praise prolong, 
Till time and nature die. 

441. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Man mortal^ and God eternal. 

1 /^UR God! our help in ages past. 

Our hope for years to come, 
Our shelter from the stormy blast, 
And our eternal home! 

2 Before the hills in order stood, 

Or earth received her frame. 
From everlasting thou art God, 
To endless years the same. 

3 Thy word commands our flesh to dust, 

" Return, ye sons of men:" 
All nations rose from earth at first, 
And turn to earth again. 

4 The busy tribes of flesh and blood, 

With all their hopes and fears. 
Are carried downwards by the flood. 
And lost in foUVing years. 

5 Like flow'ry fields the nations stand, 

Pleas'd v/ith the morning light: 
The flowVs, beneath the mower's hand, 
Lie with'ring ere 'tis night. 
2 I 



374 



Life^ Deathy Judgmmt^ 



6 Our Goi>! our help in ages past, 
Our hope for years to come! 
Be thou our guard while troubles last, 
And our eternal home. 

442. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

Mutability of the creation and immutability of 
God. 

1 RE AT Former of this various frame! 
vT We reverence thine awful name; 
And bow, and tremble, while we praise 
The Ancient of eternal days. 

2 Thou, Lord! with unsurpris'd survey 
Saw'st nature rising yesterday; 
And, as to-morrow, shall thine eye 
See earth and stars in ruin lie. 

3 Beyond an angel's vision bright, 
Thou dwell'st in self-existent light; 
Which shines with undiminished ray, 
While suns and worlds in smoke decay. 

4 Our days a transient period run. 
And change with evVy circling sun; 
And, in the firmest state we boast, 
A moth can crush us into dust. 

5 But let the creatures fall around; 
Let death consign us to the ground; 
Let the last general flame arise, 
And melt the arches of the skies; 



(ind a Future State. 



6 Calm as the summer's ocean, we 
Can all the wreck of nature see, 
While grace secures us an abode, 
Unshaken as the throne of God. 

443. 

Common Metre. Watts* 
Life^ old age^ and preparation for death. 

1 T IFE, like a vain amusement, fliesi 
1 A A fable or a song: 

By swift degrees our nature dies, 
Nor can our joys be long. 

2 Time, like an ever- flowing stream, 

Bears all its sons away; 
They fly, forgotten, as a dream 
Dies at the opening day. 

3 There are but few whose days amount 

To threescore years and ten; 
And oft, beyond that short account, 
'Tis sorrow, toil, and pain. 

4 Teach us, O God! the heav'nly art, 

T' improve the hours we have; 
That we may choose the better part^ 
And live beyond the grave. 

444. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
The vanity of human life* 
1 ^ I ACH me the measure of my days, 
X Thou Maker of my frame! 



376 Deathy Judgment^ 

I would survey life's narrow space. 
And learn how frail I am. 

2 A span is all that we can boast; 
A fleeting hour of time: 
Man is but vanity and dust, 
In all his flow'r and prime. 

' 3 See the vain race of mortals move, 
Like shadows o'er the plain; 
Tht y rage and strive, desire and love^ 
But all the noise is vain. 

4 Some walk in honour's gaudy show; 

Some dig for golden ore: 
They toil for heirs, they know not who^ 
And straight are seen no more. 

5 What should I wish or wait for then, 

From creatures, earth and dust? 
They make our expectations vain^ 
And disappoint our trust. 

6 Now I resign my earthly hope, 

My fond desires recall; 
I give my mortal int'rest up. 
And make my God my all. 

445. 

Common Metre. H. M. 
The same subject. 
1 /^UR life is but an idle play, 
V--/ Various as winds that blow; 
We laugh and sport our hours away, 
Nor heed approaching woe. 



and a Future State* 



377 



2 See the fair cheek of beauty fade! 

Frail glory of an hour; 
And blooming youth, with sickening head, 
Droop like the dying flow'r. 

3 Our pleasures, like the morning sun, 

Diffuse a flatt'ring lights 
But gloomy clouds obscure their noon, 
And soon they sink in night. 

4 Wealth, pomp, and honour, we behold 

With an admiring eye, 
Like summer insects, dress'd in gold, 
That flutter, shine, and die. 

^ Then rise, my soul, and soar away, 
Above the thoughtless crowd. 
Above the pleasures of the gay, 
And splendours of the proud; 

6 Up where eternal beauties bloom, 
And pleasures all divine; 
Where wealth, that never can consume. 
And endless glories shine. 



Common Metre. Watts. 
The precarious tenure of life, 
t ^TpHEE we adore. Eternal name! 



And humbly own to thee 
How feeble is our mortal frame, 
What dying worms are we. 

3 Our wasting lives are short'nin still, 
As months and days increase, 



446. 




2 I 2 



^1 



378 J-^f^-, Death^ Judgment^ 

And evVy beating pulse we tell 
Leaves but the number less* 

3 The year rolls round, and steals away 

The breath that first it gave; 
Whatever w^ do, where'er we be. 
We're trav'Iling to the grave. 

4 Dangers stand thick through all the ground, 

To push us to the tomb; 
And fierce diseases wait around. 
To hurry mortals home. 

5 Yet while a world of joy or woe 

Depends on ev'ry breath, 
Thoughtless and unconcerned we go 
Upon the brink of death. 

6 Waken, O Lord! our drowsy sense. 

To walk this dangerous road; 
That we may find, when summon'd hence^ 
The grave the path to God. 

447. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
God's compassion to human frailty. 

1 T ORD! we adore thy wondrous name, 
,1 A And make that name our trust. 
Which rais'd at first this curious frame 

From mean and lifeless dust. 

2 Awhile these frail machines endure, 

The fabric of a day; 



qtnd a Future State. 3/9 



Then/know their vital pow^s no more, 
Biit moulder back to clay. 

3 Yet, Lord! whatever is felt or fear'd, 

This thought is qur, repose, 
That he, by whom biir frame was reared, 
Its various frailties knows. iMt^kn^jt 

4 Thou view'st us with a pitying eye, 

While struggling with our load; 
In pains and dangers thou art nigh, 
Our Father, and our God. 

5 Gently supported by thy love, 

We tend to realms of peace; 
Where ev'ry pain shall far remove, 
And evVy weakness cease. 

448. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Warnings of mortality. 

1 ^ I ^HAT awful hour will soon appear, 

A. Swift on the wings of time it flies, 
When all that pains or pleases here, 
Will vanish from my closing eyes. 

2 Death calls my friends, my neighbours 
hence. 

And none resist the fatal dart: 
Continual warnings strike my sense; 
And shall they fail to strike my heart? 

Think, O my soul! how much depends 
On the short period of to-day: 



380 Ltfe^ Deaths Judgment^ 



Shall time, which heav'n in mercy lends. 
Be negligently thrown away? 

4 Thy remnant minutes strive to use; 
Awake! rouse ev'ry active pow'r! 
And not in dreams and trifles lose 
This little, this important hour! 

5 Lord of my life! inspire my heart 
With heav'nly ardour, grace divine; 
Nor let thy presence e^er depart, 

Far strength, and life, and death are thine. 

6 O teach me the celestial skill, 
Each awful warning to improve! 
And, while my days are shortening still.^ 
Prepare me for the joys above! 

449. 

Short Metre. Doddridge, 
Reflections on the state of our fathers, 

1 T TOW swift the torrent rolls, 
JTX That bears us to the sea! 

. The tide that bears our thoughtless souls 
To vast eternity! 

2 Our fathers, where are they, 
With all they call'd their own? 

Their joys and griefs, and hopes and cares, 
And wealth and honour— gone. 

3 There, where the fathers lie, 
Must all the children dwell; 

Nor other heritage possess. 
But such a gloomy cell. 



and a Future State. 



381 



4 God of our fathers! hear; 
Thou everlasting Friend! 

While we, as on life's utmost verge^ 
Our souls to thee commend. 

5 Of all the pious dead. 
May we the footsteps trace, 

Till with them, in the land of light, 
We dwell before thy face. 

450. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

Our lives in the hand of God* 

1 OOV'REIGNoflife! before thine eye, 
O Lo, mortal men by thousands die! 
One glance from thee at once brings down 
The proudest brow that wears a crown. 

2 Banish'd at once from human sight 
To the dark grave's unchanging night; 
Imprisoned in that dusty bed, 

We hide our solitary head. 

3 The friendly band no more shall greet; 
Accents, familiar once, and sweet; 

No more the well-known features trace, 
No more renew the fond embrace. 

4 Yet if my Father's faithful hand 
Conduct me through this gloomy land. 
My soul with pleasure shall obey. 
And follow where he leads the way. 



382 



Life^ Deaths Judgment^ 



451. 

/C , Long Metre. Doddridge. 

The great journey. 

1 EHOLD the path which mortals tread 
Xj Down to the regions of the dead! 
Nor will the fleeting moments stay, 

Nor can we measure back our way. 

2 Our kindred and our friends are gone; 
Know, O my soul, this doom thy own; 
Feeble as theirs, thy mortal frame, 
The same thy way, thy home the same* 

3 From vital air, from cheerful light, 
To the cold grave's perpetual night, 
From scenes of duty, means of grace, 
Must I to God's tribunal pass? 

4 Awake, my soul! thy way prepare, 
And lose in this each meaner care; 
With steady feet that path be trod. 
Which, thro' the grave, conducts to God.. 

5 Father! to thee my all I trust; 
And if my flesh return to dust, 
'Tis thy decree, I bless thy hand. 
And die resigned at thy command. 

" 452. 

Common Metre. Edinburgh Collection 

The peace of the grave. 

1 T TOW still and peaceful is the grave! 
Xx Where, life's vain tumults past;» 



and a Future State. 



383 



Th' appointed house, by heav'n's decree, 
Receives us all at last. 

2 The wicked there from troubling cease; 

There passions rage no more; 
And there the weary pilgrim rests 
From all the toils he bore. 

3 There rest the prisoners, now releas'd 

From slavery's sad abode; 
No more they hear th' oppressor's voice, 
Or dread the tyrant's rod. 

4 There, servants, masters, small and great, 

Partake the same repose; 
And there, in peace, the ashes mix 
Of those who once were foes. 

5 All leveird by the hand of death, 

Lie sleeping in the tomb; 
Till God in judgment call them forth 
To meet their righteous doom. 

453. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 

The wisdom of redeeming time* 

1 CD of eternity! from thee 

Vjr Did infant time his being draw; 
Moments and days, and months and years, 
Revolve, by thy unvaried law. 

2 Silent and slow they glide away; 
Steady and strong the current flows; 



384 Life^ Deaths Judgment^ 



Lost in eternity's wide sea, 

The boundless gulf from which it rose. 

3 Thoughtless and vain, our mortal race 
Along the mighty stream are borne 
On to their everlasting home; 

That country whence there's no return. 

4 Yet, while the shore on either side 
Presents a gaudy flattering show; 
We gaze, in fond -amusement lost, 
Nor think to what a world we go. 

5 Great Source of wisdom! teach my heart 
To know the price of evVy hour; 

That time may bear me on to joys, 
Beyond its measure and its pow'r. 

454. 

Long Metre. 

The lapse of time improved. 

1 O WIFT glide the hours of life away; 
O So shall our vital powVs decay: — 
Momentous moral to mankind! 

Deep be it fix'd in evVy mind! 

2 Time and its joys will soon be past; 
But virtue, freedom, truth shall last: 
Let these inspire the glowing breast; 
For these alone can make man blessM. 

3 The lessons of the good and wise 
Let not vain mortals dare despise: 
And while we view time's silent stream, 
O may it be our stedfast aim— 



and a Future State. 385 



4 From passion free, and free from strife, 
'Midst the tumultuous ills of life, 

Still calm, unruffled, and serene, 

To fill our part in this great scene: — 

5 And, while life's sands are running out, 
Prepared, without or fear or doubt, 

T' obey the mandate from on high, 
The awful summons — Thou must die! 



1 'THHE swift-declining day, 

jL How fast its moments fly! 

While ev'ning's broad and gloomy shade 
Spreads o'er the western sky. 

2 Ye mortals! mark its pace; 
Improve the hours of light; 

And know, your Maker can command 
An instantaneous night. 

3 His word blots out the sun 
In its meridian blaze. 

And cuts from smiling vig'rous youth 
The remnant of its days. 

4 On the dark mountain's brow. 
Your feet shall quickly slide; 

And from its airy summit dash 
Your momentary pride. 



455. 



Short Metre. Doddridge. 
A timely improvement of life. 




2 K 



386 Life^ Deaths Judgment^ 



5 Give glory to the Lord, 
Who rules the rolling sphere; 

Submissive at his footstool bow, 
And seek salvation there. 

6 Then shall new lustre break, 
Thro' horror's darkest gloom. 

And lead you to unchanging light 
In a celestial home. 

456. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

The near approach of salvation a motive to 
diligence* ^■•^ > 

1 A WAKE, ye saints! and raise your 
Xjl eyes, 

And raise your voices high: 
Awake, and praise your Maker's love. 
Which shows salvation nigh. 

2 Swift on the wings of time it flies; 

Each moment brings it near: 
Then welcome each declining day, 
Welcome each closing year! 

3 Not many years their round shall run, 

Nor many mornings rise. 
Ere all its glories stand reveal'd 
To our admiring eyes. 

4 Ye wheels of nature! speed your course; 

Ye mortal pow'rs! decay: 
\m\: Sure as ye bring the night of death, 
Ye bring eternal day. 



and a Future State. 387 



457. 

Short Metre. Doddridge, 
The watchful christian. 

YE servants of the Lord! 
Each in his office wait, 
Observant of his heavenly word, 
And watchful at his gate. 

Let all your lamps be bright, 
And trim the golden flame: 
Gird up your loins, as in his sight, 
For awful is his name. 

Watch! 'tis your Lord's command; 
And while we speak, he's near: 
Mark the first signal of his hand, 
And ready all appear. 

O happy servant he, 
In such a posture found! 
He shall his Lord with rapture see, 
And be with honour crown'd. 

458. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Christian watchfulness. 

AWAKE, my drowsy soul! awake. 
And view the threat'ning scene: 
Legions of foes encamp around, 
And treach'ry lurks within. 



388 I^lf^t Deaths Judgment^ 



2 'Tis not this mortal life alone 

These enemies assail; 
How canst thou hope for future bliss, 
If their attempts prevail? 

3 Now to the work of God awake — 

Behold thy master near— 
The various, arduous task pursue 
With vigour, and with fear. 

4 The awful register goes on, 

Th' account will surely come, 
And op'ning day, or closing night 
May bear me to my doom. 

5 Tremendous thought! how deep it strikes! 

Yet like a dream it flies. 
Till God's own voice the slumbers chase 
From these deluded eyes. 



The frailty of life^ and the unchangeahleness 



1 npHE morning flowVs display their 



And gay their silken leaves unfold, 
As careless of the noon day heats. 
And fearless of the ev'ning cold. 

2 Nipt by the wind's unkindly blast, 
Parch'd by the sun's directer ray, 




of truth* 




and a Future State. 389 



The momentary glories waste, 
The short-liv'd beauties die away. 

3 So blooms the human face divine. 
When youth its pride and beauty shows; 
Fairer than spring the colours shine, 
And sweeter than the virgin rose. 

4 Or worn by slowly rolling years, 
Or broke by sickness in a day, 
The fading glory disappears. 
The short-liv'd beauties die away. 

5 Yet these, new rising from the tomb^^ 
With lustre, brighter far, shall shine. 
Revive with ever-during bloom, 
Safe from diseases and decline. 

6 Let sickness blast, and death devour. 
If heav'n must recompense our pains; 
Perish the grass, and fade the flow'r, 
If firm the word of God remains. 

460. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 

.if 

Life^ deaths and the resurrection. 

1 TERNAL God! how frail is man! 

How few his hours, how short his 
span! 

Short, from the cradle to the grave; 
2K2 



390 



Life^ Deathy Judgmenty 



Who can secure his vital breath, 
Against the bold demands of death, 
With skill to fly, or pow'r to save? 

2 But shall it therefore, Lord, be said, 
The race of man was only made 

For sickness, sorrow, and the dust? 
Or if thy servants, day by day. 
Sink to their graves, and turn to clay. 

Thou hast no kindness for the just? 

3 Hast thou not given to thy Son 
An endless life, a heav'nly crown? 

Why then should flesh and sense despair? 
For ever blessed be the Lord, 
That we can read his holy word, 

And find a resurrection there. 

4 For ever blessed be the Lord! 
Who gives his saints a long reward 

For all their toil, reproach, and pain. 
Let all below, and all above. 
Join to proclaim thy wondrous love. 

And each repeat their loud Amen^ 

461. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 

Death and the resurrection. 

1 \7^E naoons, hear! ye sons of earth, 
X Of nighesi or obscurest birth! 
Ye who from wealth's full board are fed, 
And ye who cat with toil your bread! 



and a Future State. 391 



2 Cease, mortals, cease your pride, nor dream 
That riches shall from death redeem: 

In vain would friendship's zeal essay 
The full equivalent to pay. 

3 For man, with erring pride elate, 
And high in powV, in honour great, 
Shares with the brute an equal doom, 
And sleeps forgotten in the tomb. 

4 Together now behold them laid, 

As sheep, when night extends her shade; 
While death within the vaulted rock. 
Stern shepherd, guards the slumb'ring flock. 

5 Ye just, exulting, lift your eyes; 
Behold the promised morn arise. 
That bids you, o'er each haughty foe 
Exalted, endless triumphs know. 

6 My soul, amidst your happy train, 
The wish'd redemption shall obtain; 
By God adopted, death shall brave, 
And mock the disappointed grave. 

462. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 
Hope of a resurrection. 

1 ATHER of all! my soul defend, 

i On thee my stedfast hopes depend; 
Thee let me bless, the faithful guide, 
Whose counsels o'er my life preside. 

2 Though to the grave I must descend, 
(For thu3 has heav'n's high will ordain'd) 



392 Ltfe^ Deaths Judgment^ 

Yet hope e'en there, my constant guest, 
Shall smooth the pillow of my rest. 

3 Though death awhile reign o'er my frame, 
Thou from the grave my life wilt claim; 
And to my eyes, in full survey, 

The op'ning paths of life display. 

4 Those paths that to thy presence bear; 
For plenitude of bliss is there; 

And pleasure's streams, unmix'd with woe, 
At thy right hand for ever flow. 

463. 

Long Metre. Watts* 

The same subject. 

1 T\ /r Y faith and hope in God are strong, 
JLVA If with his gracious presence blest: 
Be glad, my heart! rejoice, my tongue! 
My dying flesh in hope shall rest. 

2 Though in the dust I lay my head. 
Yet, gracious God! thou wilt not leave 
My soul for ever with the dead, 

Nor lose thy children in the grave. 

3 My flesh shall thy first call obey. 
Shake off the dust, and rise on high; 
Then shalt thou lead the wondrous way 
Up to the throne above the sky. 



and a Future State. 



393 



464. 

Common Metre. Edinburgh Collection. 

The vegetable creation an emblem of the resur- 
rection of man, 

1 4 LL nature dies, and lives again: 
JLJL The flow'r that paints the field, 
The trees that crown the mountain's brow. 

And boughs and blossoms yield; 

2 Resign the honours of their form 

At winter's stormy blast; 
And leave the naked, leafless plain 
A desolated waste. 

3 Yet soon reviving plants and flow'rs 

Anew shall deck the plain; 
The woods shall hear the voice of spring, 
And flourish green again. 

4 So to the dreary grave consigned, 

Man sleeps in death's dark gloom. 
Until th' eternal morning wake 
The slumbers of the tomb. 

5 O may the grave become to me 

The bed of peaceful rest; 
Whence I shall gladly rise at length, 
And mingle with the blest! 

6 Cheer'd by this hope, with patient mind 

I'll w^ait heav'n's high decree; 
Till th6 appointed period come 
When death shall set me free. 



394 



Life^ Deathy Judgment^ 



i. 465. 

X Common Metre. Watts. 

Triumph over death. 

1 RE AT God! I own thy sentence just, 
\jr And nature must decay: 

I yield my body to the dust, 
To dwell with fellow-clay. 

2 Yet faith may triumph o'er the grave, 

And trample on the tombs: 
Since God, my Father, ever lives. 
And my Redeemer comes. 

S The mighty conqu'ror shall appear, 
High on a royal seat; 
And death, the last of all his foes, 
Lie vanquished at his feet. 



466. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Victory over death through Christ. 

1 TTTHEN death appears before my sight 

V V In all his dire array, 
Unequal to the dreadful fight, 
My courage dies away. 

2 How shall I meet this potent foe, 

Whose frown my soul alarms? 
Dark horror sits upon his brow, 
And vict'ry waits his arms. 



and a Future State. 395 



3 But see, my glorious leader nigh! 

Jesus my saviour lives; 
Before him death's pale terrors fly, 
And my faint heart revives. 

4 O God! be thou my sure defence, 

My guard for ever near; 
And faith shall triumph over sense, 
And never yield to fear. 

5 O may I meet the dreadful hour, 

With fortitude divine! 
Sustain'd by thy almighty powV, 
The conquest must be mine. 

467. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
A happy resurrection. 
\ "^T O, I'll repine at death no more, 
-L\ But, calm and cheerful, will resign 
To the cold dungeon of the grave. 
These dying, withering limbs of mine. 

2 Let worms devour my wasting fleshy 
And crumble all my bones to dust: 
My God shall raise my frame anew 
At the revival of the just. 

o Break, sacred morning! through the skies, 
And usher in that glorious day: 
Come quickly. Lord! cut short the hours! 
Thy ling'ring wheels, how long they stay! 

4 O! haste upon the wings of love, 
Rouse all the pious sleeping clay, 



396 




Long Metre. Merrick. 

God the supreme judge* 




1 TELL to all whom earth sustains, 
O tell them that Jehovah reigns; 

That all who issue from its womb. 
Shall hear from him th' unerring doom. 

2 Exult, ye heav'ns! exult, O earth! 
And, partner in the sacred mirth, 
Let ocean in its fulness rise. 
And thunder to the distant skies* 

3 Rich in his gifts, ye fields, rejoice; 
While in his praise the woods their voice 
Exalt, and hail with lowly nod 

The presence of th' approaching God. 

4 He comes, in awful pomp array'd. 

He comes, to judge the world he made: 
Truth shall with him the cause decide, 
And equity his sentence guide. 



Common Metre. Doddridge. 

Death and judgment. 

1 TTEAV'N has confirm'd the great de- 
X X cree. 

That Adam's race must die: 



469. 



and a Future State. 



39? 



One gen'ral ruin sweeps them down, 
And low in dust they lie. 

2 Ye living men, the tomb survey, 

Where you must quickly dwell; 
Hark, how the awful summons sounds 
In ev'ry fun'ral knell! 

3 Once you must die, and once for all; 

The solemn purport weigh; 
For know, that heav'n and hell are hung 
On that important day. 

4 Those eyes, so long in darkness veiPd, 

Must wake, the judge to see, 
And ev'ry word, and ev'ry thought, 
Must pass his scrutiny. 

5 O may I, in the judge, behold 

My Saviour and my friend; 
And, far beyond the reach of death, 
With all his saints ascend. 



X spake. 
And bade the earth the summons take; 




Far as his eye the realms survey 
Of rising and declining day* 
2L 



398 Life^ Death^ Judgment^ I 

2 ReveaPd from Zion's sacred bound. 

The seat with matchless beauty crown'd, ^ 
Our God his course shall downward bend, 
Nor silent to his work descend. 

3 Heav'n from above shall hear his call, 
And thou, the vast terrestrial ball! 
While man's whole race their judge shall 

meet, ^ 
In countless throngs, before his seat. 

4 Th' applauding heav'ns the changeless ? 

doom. 

While God the balance shall assume, 3 
In full memorial shall record. 
And own the justice of their Lord. 

471. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 

The same subject. 

1 ^T^HE God of glory sends his summons 1 
jL forth. 

Calls the south nations, and awakes the 
north: 

From east to west his sovVeign orders 
spread, 

Thro^ ^distant worlds and regions of the 
dead. 

The trumpet sounds; hell trembles; heav'n 
rejoices; 

Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful 
voicest 



and a Future State* 399 

2 No more shall atheists mock his long de- 
lay, 

His vengeance sleeps no more: behold the 
day! 

Behold the Judge descends! his guards are 
I nigh; 

Tempest and fire attend him down the sky. 
When God appears, all nature shall adore 
him: 

iWhile sinners tremble, saints rejoice beford^ 
him. 

5 Sinners, awake betimes; ye fools, be wise; 
Awake before this dreadful morning rise: 
Change your vain thoughts, your crooked 

works amend. 
Fly to the Saviour, make the Judge your 

friend: 

Then join the saints, wake evVy cheerful 
passion; 

When Christ returns, he comes for your 
salvation. 

472. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

J Hypocrisy detected and exposed, 

1 ^ I ^HE Lord, the Judge, his churches 
' X warns; 

Let hypocrites attend and fear, 
! Who place their hopes in rites and forms, 

But make not faith and love their care. 



400 



Life^ Death^ "Judgment^ 



2 They dare rehearse his awful name 
With lips of falsehood and deceit; 
A friend or brother they defame. 
And sooth and flatter those they hate. 

3 They watch to do their neighbours wrong 
Yet dare to seek their Maker's face; 
They take his covenant on their tongue, 
But break his laws, abuse his grace. 

4 And, while his judgments long delay, 
They grow secure and sin the more; 
They think he sleeps as well as they, 
And put far off the evil hour. 

5 O dreadful hour, when God draws near, 
And sets iheir crimes before their eyes! 
Anguish their guilty souls shall tear, 
And no deliverer dare to rise. 

473. 

Proper Metre. Doddridge. 

The transitory nature of the world. 

1 OPRING up, my soul, with ardent 
O flight. 

Nor let this earth delude thy sight 

With glitt'ring trifles, gay and vain: 
Wisdom divine directs thy view 
To objects ever grand and new, 

And faith displays the shining train. 



and a Future State. 40>1 



2 Be dead, my hopes, to all below; 
Nor let unbounded torrents flow, 

When mourning o'er my witherM joys: 
So this deceitful world is known; 
Possessed, I call it not mine own, 

Nor glory in its painted toys. 

3 The empty pageant rolls along; 
The giddy, inexperienc'd throng 

Pursue it with enchanted eyes: 
It passeth in swift march away. 
Still more and more its charms dec, 

Till the last gaudy colour dies. 

14 My God! to thee my soul shall turn; 
For thee my noblest passions burn, 

And drink in bliss from thee alone: 
I fix on that unchanging home. 
Where never-fading pleasures bloom, 
Fresh-springing round thy radiant 
throne. 

474. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The end of the world. 

II "\7S ^HY should this earth delight us so? 
I V V Why should we fix our eyes 

On these low grounds, where sorrows grow, 
And ev'ry pleasure dies? 

2 While time his sharpest teeth prepares, 
Our comforts to devour, 
2 L2 



402 Life^ Deaths Judgment^ 



There is a land above the stars, 
And joys above his pow'r. 

3 Nature shall be dissolved and die; 

The sun must end his race; 
The earth and sea for ever fly 
Before my Maker's face. 

4 When will that glorious morning rise, 

When the last trumpet's sound 
Shall call the nations to the skies, 
From underneath the ground? 

475. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The hope of the christian. 

1 "1 7C7*HAT sinners value, I resign: 

VV Lord! 'tis enough that thou art 
mine: 

I shall behold thy blissful face. 

And stand complete in righteousness. 

2 This life's a dream, an empty show. 
But the bright world to which I go 
Hath joys substantial and sincere; 
When shall I wake and find me there! 

3 O glorious hour! O blest abode! 

I shall be near, and like my God; 
And flesh and sin no more control 
The sacred pleasures of the soul. 

4 My flesh shall slumber in the ground, 
Till the last trumpet's joyful sound; 



and a Future State. 403 



Then burst the chains with sweet surprise, 
And in my Saviour's image rise. 

476. 

Long Metre. Browne. 

Seeking the things above* 

1 'nnO heaven, my longing soul! aspire, 

X And soar aloft with strong desire; 
Here choose thy lot, here fix thy rest, 
And aim for ever to be blest. 

2 Still keep yon blissful world in view, 
And close the glorious chase pursue; 
The way leads up to rest above, 
Through paths of purity and love. 

3 This track pursue with ardent zeal; 
Each lust subdue, each foe repel; 

Still stretch thy wings, and upward rise; 
Eternal glory is the prize. 

477. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The Christianas inheritance. ^ 

1 "XT' E humble souls, complain no more, ' 

X Let faith survey your future storej 
How happy, how divinely blest, 
The sacred words of truth attest. 

2 When conscious grief laments sincere, 
And pours the penitential tear; 



404 



Ltfe^ Death y Judgment^ 



Hope points to your dejected eyes ^ 
A bright reversion in the skies. 

3 In vain the sons of wealth and pride 
Despise your lot, your hopes deride; 
In vain they boast their little stores; 
Trifles are theirs, a kingdom yours: 

4 A kingdom of immense delight, 
Where health, and peace, and joy unite, 
Where undeclining pleasures rise. 
And ev'ry wish hath full supplies: 

B A kingdom which can ne'er decay, 
Tho' time sweep earthly thrones away; 
The state which power and truth sustain, 
Unmov'd forever must remain. 

6 Great God! to thee we breathe our pray'r 
If thou confirm our intVest there; 
EnroUM among thy happy poor, 
Our largest wishes ask no more. 



M V page 
Where all thy mercies shine; 
And joy tp tell the rising age 
What boutidiess grace is thine. ' 

2 The world, with all its shifting schemes, 
Time, with its fleeting hours. 



478. 




Common Metre. Butcher. 

The same subject. 
riTH transport. Lord! we view th 



and a Future State. 405 



Life, with its gay and flatt'ring dreams, 
Its hopes and fears, is ours. 

3 Death, also, at our Father's word, 

Lays all his terrors by; 
Gently divides the " silver cord,'' 
And calls us to the sky. 

4 Fain would our hearts a tribute bring 

Before our Father's throne; 
A tribute worthy of our King, 
Whose mercies are unknown. 

479. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Hope of heaven from the resurrection of 
Christ. 

1 "O LESS'D be the everlasting God, 
X) The Father of our Lord; 

Be his abounding mercy prais'd, 
His majesty ador'd. 

2 When from the dead he rais'd his son, 

And call'd him to the sky; 
He gave our souls a lively hope, 
That they should never die. 

3 What though the frame of man requires 

That he should see the dust; 
Since Christ our pledge and pattern rose, 
So all his followers must. 

4 There's an inheritance divine, 

Reserv'd against that day; 



406 



Life^ Deaths Judgment^ 



'Tis uncorrupted, undefil'd, 
And cannot fade away. 

5 Saints by the pow'r of God are kept, 
Till this salvation come; 
We walk by faith, as strangers here. 
Till he shall call us home. 

480. 

Long Metre. Bowden. 

The happiness of heaven. 

1 ROM this world's joys, and senseless 
X? mirth, 

O come, my soul! in haste retiree- 
Assume the grandeur of thy birth, 
And to thy native heav'n aspire. 

2 Here's nought below deserves delay, 
Nought that can bribe thy swift remove; 
No solid ground thy hopes to stay, 
Nor worthy object of thy love. 

3 'Tis heav'n alone can make thee blest. 
Can ev'ry wish and want supply; 
Thy joy, thy crown, thy endless rest, 
Are all above the lofty sky. 

4 There dwells the sovereign Lord of all, 
The God that all the worlds adore; 
With whom is bliss that cannot pall, 
And joys that last for evermore^ 



and a Future State. 407 

481. 

Common Metre. Mrs, Steele. ^ 
The same subject. 

1 AR from these narrow scenes of night, 
Jl Unbounded glories rise; 

And realms of infinite delight, 
Unknown to mortal eyes. 

2 Fair distant land! could mortal eyes 

But half its charms explore, 
How would our spirits long to rise, 
And dwell on earth no more! 

3 There pain and sickness never come; 

There grief no more complains; 
Health triumphs in immortal bloom, 
And purest pleasure reigns. 

4 No malice, strife, or envy there 

The sons of peace molest; 
But harmony, and love sincere. 
Fill ev'ry happy breast. 

5 No cloud those blissful regions know, 

For ever bright and fair; 
For sin, the source of mortal woe, 
Can never enter there. 

6 There, no alternate night is known, 

Nor sun's faint sickly ray; 
But glory, from th' eternal throne, 
Spreads everlasting day. 

7 O! may this heav'nly prospect fire 

Our hearts with ardent love; 



408 



Life^ Deaths Judgment^ 



May lively faith and strong desire 
Bear evVy thought above. 

482;- V' 

Common Metre. Watts. 

A prospect of heaven. 

1 'T^HERE is a land of pure delight, 

A Where saints immortal reign; 
Infinite day excludes the night, 
And pleasures banish pain. 

2 There, everlasting spring abides. 

And never-with'ring flow'rs^ 
Death, like a narrow sea, divides 
This heavenly land from ours. 

3 Sweet fields, beyond the swelling flood. 

Stand dress'd in living green; 
So to the Jews old Canaan stood, 
While Jordan roUM between. 

4 But tim'rous mortals start and shrink, 

To cross this narrow sea; 
And linger, shivVmg, on the brink, 
And fear to launch away: 

5 O! could we make our doubts remove, 

Those gloomy doubts that rise. 
And view the Canaan that we love 
With unbeclouded eyes! 

6 Could we but climb where Moses stood, 

And view the prospect o'er, 



and a Future State. 409 

Not Jordan's streams, nor death's cold 
flood, 

Should fright us from the shore. 

483. 

Proper Metre. Rippon's Tune Book. 
, The same subject. 

1 N wings of faith, mount up my soul, 
and rise, 

View thine inheritance beyond the skies: 
Nor heart can think nor mortal tongue can 
' tell. 

What endless pleasures in those mansions 
dwell: 

Here our Redeemer lives, ail bright and glo- 
rious, 

! O'er sin and death and hell he reigns vic- 
I torious. 

j 2 Nognawinggrief,no sad heart-rending pain 
I In that blest country can admission gain; 
No sorrow there, no soul-tormenting fear, 
For God's own hand shall wipe the falling 
tear. 

Here our Redeemer lives, &c. 

i 

j 3 Before the throne a crystal river glides, 
Immortal verdure decks its cheerful sides: 
Here the fair tree of life majestic rears 
Its blooming head, and sovereign virtue 
bears. 

Here our Redeemer lives, &c. 
2 M 



410 Life^ Deaths Judgynent^ 



^ 484. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele, 
Hope of immortality. 

1 ^THHOSE happy realms of joy and peace 

X Fain would my heart explore; 
Where grief and pain for ever cease, 
And I shall sin no more. 

2 No darkness there shall cloud the eyes, 

No languor seize the frame; 
But ever active vigour rise 
To feed the vital flame. 

3 Bui ah! a dreary vale between, 

Extends its awful gloom: 
Fear spreads, to hide the distant scene, 
The horrors of the tomb. 

4 O for the eye of faith divine 

To pierce beyond the grave! 
To see that friend, and call him mine, 
Whose arm is strong to save! 

5 Here fix, my soul! for life is here; 

Light breaks amid the gloom; 
Trust in Jehovah's love, nor fear 
The horrors of the tomb. 



Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Longing for immortality • 

1 TMPERFECT creatures of a day, 
A With sins, and griefs, and pains op- 
pressed, 

I 



and a Future State. 4-1 1 



We sigh the lingVing hours away, 
And wish, and long to be released. 

2 Nor is it liberty alone, 

Which prompts our restless ardent sighs; 
V For immortality we groan, 

For robes and mansions in the skies: 

:3 Eternal mansions! bright array! 

O blest exchange! transporting thought! 
Free from th' approaches of decay, 
Or the least shadow of a spot. 

4 There shall mortality no more 
Its wide-extended empire boast; 
Forgotten all its dreadful powV, 
In life's unbounded ocean lost* 

486. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

God the everlasting light of good men, 

1 '\7'E golden lamps of heav'n! farewell, 

X With all your feeble light: 
Farewell, thou ever-changing moon, 
Pale empress of the night! 

2 And thou, refulgent orb of day, 

In brighter flames array'd! 
My soul, which springs beyond thy sphere, 
No more demands thine aid. 

3 Ye stars are but the shining dust 

Of my divine abode, 



412 I^iff^-, Deaths Judgment^ 

The pavement of those heav'nly courts. 
Where I shall reign with God. 

4 The Father of eternal light 

Shall there his beams display; 
Nor shall one moment's darkness mix 
With that unvary'd day. 

5 No more the drops of piercing grief 

Shall swell into mine eyes; 
Nor the meridian sun decline, 
Amidst those brighter skies. 

6 There all the millions of his saints 

Shall in one song unite; 
And each the bliss of all shall share 
With infinite delight. 

" / 

487. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The communion of saints. 

1 ""^T^^ terrors of the Lord, 

The tempest, fire, and smoke; 
Not to the thunder of that word, 
Which God on Sinai spoke: 

2 But we are come to Zion's hill, 

The city of our God; 
Where milder words declare his will. 
And spread his love abroad. 

3 Behold th' innumerable host 

Of angels, cloth'd in light! 



and a Future State. 



413 



Behold the spirits of the just, 
Whose faith is turn'd to sight! 

4 Behold the bless'd assembly there, 

Whose names are writ in heav'n! 
And God, the judge of all, declares 
Their num'rous sins forgiv^i, 

5 The saints on earth, and all the dead. 

But one communion make; 
All join in Christ, their living head, 
And heav'nly joys partake. 



Long Metre. Butcher. 

The final congregation of good characters, 
i TT^ROM north and south, from east and. 



JL west. 
Advance the myriads of the blest: 
From ev'ry clime of earth they come. 
And find in heav'n a common home. 

^ In one immortal throng we view 
Pagan and Christian, Greek and Jew; 
But all their doubts and darkness o'er, 
One only God they now adore. 

3 Howe'er divided here below, 

One bliss, one spirit.now they know; 
Though some ne'er heard of Jesus' name, 
Yet God admits their honest claim. 



/ 



488. 




2M2 



414 Life^ Deaths Judgment^ is?c, | 

4 On earth, according to their light, 
They aim'd to practise what was right, 
Hence all their errors are forgiv'n, 
And Jesus welcomes them to heav'n. 

5 See, how along th' immortal meads, 
His glorious host the Saviour leads! 
And brings the myriads none can count, 
To seats of joy on Zion's mount! 



PART XV. 



Particular Occasions, 

489. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
On opening a new place of worship. 

1 A ND will the great Eternal God 

On earth establish his abode? 
And will he from his radiant throne 
Regard our temples as his own? 

2 We bring the tribute of our praise; 
And sing that condescending grace, 
Which to our notes will lend an ear, 
And call us sinful mortals near. 

.3 Our Father's watchful care we bless, 

Which guards our house of pray'r in peace, 
That no tumultuous foes invade, 
To fill the worshippers with dread. 

4 These walls we to thy honour raise; 
Long may they echo with thy praise; 
And thou, descending, fill the place 
With choicest tokens of thy grace. 

5 And in the great decisive day, 
When God the nations shall survey, 



416 



Particular Occasions. 



May it before the world appear, 
That crowds were born to glory here. 

490. 

Common Metre. Original. 

The same subject, 

GRE ATEST of beings! Source of good! 
We bow before thy throne, 
Which from eternity hath stood, 
And worship Thee alone. 

No bounds thy high perfections know, 

But fill creation wide; 
And wilt thou visit men below? 

Wilt thou on earth abide? 

Wilt thou vouchsafe thy presence here? 

And shed propitious rays, 
While with united hands we rear 

An altar to thy praise? 

Here, then, in ev'ry heart be found 

The dwelling of thy choice; 
And here be heard that sweetest sound, 

The cheerful, thankful voice. 

While life eternal all pursue, 

Here may the way be shown, 
To know thyself, God only true. 

And Christ thy chosen Son. 

Here may the mind, while sunk in woes. 

And comfort long delays. 
On mercy's gentle breast repose. 

And change its sighs for praise. 



Particular Oceanians. 



417 



7 May love, with sweet resistless force, 

Compel her guests to come; 
Arrest the sinner's downward course 
And call the wand'rer home. 

8 Here be the solemn witness giv'n,^ 

Hence be it spread abroad; 
There's none like thee in earth or heav'n, 
The Lord alone is God." 

491. 

Common Metre. Salisbury Collection. 
A baptismal hymn* 

1 "T COME," the great Redeemer cries, 

1 To do thy will, O Lord!" 
At Jordan's flood, behold! he seals 
The sure prophetic word. 

2 " Thus it becomes us to fulfil 

All righteousness," he said; 
He spake obedient, and beneath 
The yielding wave was laid. 

3 Hark! a glad voice; the Father speaks, 

From Heav'n's exalted height; 
*'This is my Son, my well-belov"'d, 
My joy, my chief delight." 

4 Jesus, the Saviour, well belov'd! 

His name we will profess, 

* Joshua xxii. 24. Tlie children of Reuben, and tlie 
children of Gad, called the alt ir Ed; for it hhall be a 
'ivitness between us, that the Lord is God. 



418 



Particular Occasions. 



Like him, desirous to fulfil 
Each law of righteousness. 

5 No more v/e'll count ourselves our own, 
But his in bonds of love; 
O! may such bonds for ever draw 
Our souls to things above. 

[FOR THE LORD'S SUPPER.] 

492.\ 
Long Metre. Watts. 
Institution of the Lord^s supper* 

1 'nnWAS on that dreadful, doleful 

X night, 
When the whole powV of darkness rose 
Against the son of God's delight, 
And friends betray'd him to his foes: 

2 Before the mournful scene began, 

He took the bread, and bless'd, and brake: 
What love thro' all his actions ran! 
What wondrous words of grace he spake! 

3 This is my body, broke for sin; 
Receive, and eat the living food:" 
Then took the cup, and bless'd the wine, 

'Tis the new cov'nant in my blood." 

4 " Meet at my table, and record 
The love of your departed Lord; 

Do this," he cried, till time shall end, 
In mem'ry of your dying friend." 



Particular Occasions, 419 



493. 

/ Long Metre. Enfield's Selection* 
Celebration of the hordes supper* 

1 'THHIS feast was Jesus' high behest, 

X This cup of thanks his last request; 
Ye, who can feel his worth, attend, 
Eat, drink, in meai'ry of your friend, 

2 Around the patriot's bust ye throng. 
Him ye exalt in swelling song; 
For him the wreath of glory bind. 
Who freed from vassalage his kind. 

3 And shall not he your praises reap, 
Who rescues from the iron sleep? 
The great deliverer, whose breath 
Unbinds the captives ev'n of death? 

A Shall he who, fellow-men to save, 
Became a tenant of the grave, 
Unthank'd, uncelebrated, rise? 
Pass unremember'd to the skies? 

5 Christians! unite with loud acclaim. 
To hymn the Saviour's welcome name; 
On earth extol his wondrous love; 
Repeat his praise in worlds above. 

494. 

Long Metre. Exeter Collection^ 
The love of Christ. 
1 T "^j^THEN in obedience to their Lord, 
\ V His followers meet around his board. 



420 Particular Occasions, 

His love may well employ the song, 
And dwell with praises on the tongue. 

2 He lovM mankind — their welfare sought. 
In all he did, in all he taught; 

Their present peace, their future joy, 
His whole concern, his life's employ. 

3 Where deep distress prolongs the sigh, 
Behold the tender Jesus nigh; 

He heals the sick, restores the blind, 
Soothes and consoles the drooping mind. 

4 What love, what kindness, from his tongue 
Invite the willing soul to come 

To hear his gospel, learn the way 
Which leads, thro' death, to endless day. 

5 And shall we fail to love his name, 
Who thus to teach and save us came. 
To show his Father's love to man: 
And died to seal the gracious plan? 

6 While life shall last, O! let us prove 
Our grateful rev'rence and our love; 
In deed and thought, thro' ev'ry day, 
His Father's holy will obey. 

495. 

Short Metre. Watts. 
The communion. 
1 T ESUS invites his saints 

%J To meet around his board; 
Here may his people sit, and hold 
Communion with their Lord. 



Particular Occasibns. 421 



Here we show forth his love, 
Which spake in ev'ry breath, 
Prompted each action of his life, 
And triumph'd in his death. 

Our heav'niy Father calls 
Christ and his members one; 
We are the children of his love, 
And he the first-born son* 

One faith, one hope, one Lord,, 
One God alone we know; 
Brethren we are; let ev'ry heart 
With kind affections glow. 

Let all our pow'rs be joined 
Our Father's name to raise; 
Let gratitude fill evVy mind, 
And ev Vy voice be praise. 

496. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
For the hordes supper. 

HOW rich are thy provisions, Lord, 
Thy table furnish'd from above! 
The fruits of life o'erspread the board, 
The cup overflows with heav'nly love. 

Thine ancient family, the Jews, 
Were first invited to the feast: 
We humbly take what they refuse; 
And Gt-ntiles thy salvation taste. 

Let the vain world pronounce it shame, 
And fling their scandals on thy cause; 
2 N 



422 Particular Occasions. 



We come to boast our Saviour's name, 
And make our triumphs in his cross. 

4 With joy we tell the scoffing age, 
He that was dead has left his tomb; 
He lives above their utmost rage^ 
And we are waiting till he come. 

5 While he is absent from our sight, 
'Tis to prepare for us a place, 
That we may dwell in heav'nly light, 
And live for ever near his face. 

497. 

Common Metre. Birmingham Coll. 
Brotherly kindness from the precept and 
ample of Christ* 

1 'VT'E foll'wers of the prince of peace, 

X Who round his table draw! 
Remember what his spirit was. 
What his peculiar law. 

2 The love which all his bosom fiU'd, 

Did all his actions guide; 
Inspir'd by love, he liv'd and taught; 
Inspir'd by love, he dyM. 

3 And do you love him? do you feel 

Your warm affections move? 
This is the proof which he demands.. 
That you each other love, 

4 Let each the sacred law fulfil; 

Xike his be ev'ry mind; 
Be ev'ry temper formed by love, 
And ev'ry action kind. 



Particular Occasions, 423 



5 Let none who call themselves his friends, 
Disgrace the honour'd name; 
But by a near resemblance prove 
The title which they claim. 

498. 

Proper Metre. Exeter Collection. 
Desires after Christian obedience. 
1 T7ROM the table now* retiring, 

X Which for us the Lord hath spread^ 
May our souls, refreshment finding. 
Grow in all things like our Head. 

^ His example by beholding, 
May our lives his image bear; 
Him our Lord and master calling, 
His commands may we revere. 

3 Love to God and man displaying, 
Walking stedfast in his way: 
Joy attend us in believing; 
Peace from God thro' endless day. 

499. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Conclusion of the LorcTs supper* 

1 "piTY the nations, O our God! 
jl Constrain the earth to come; 
Send thy victorious word abroad, 

And bring the strangers home, 

2 We long to see thy churches full, 

That all thy chosen race 



424 Particular Occasions. 



May, with one voice and heart and soul, ■ 
Sing thy redeeming grace. 

[FOR CHARITABLE OCCASIONS.] , 

500. i 

Long Metre. Watts. 
Compassion to the ajffiicted. 

1 T> LEST is the man whose heart is kind, 
JD And melts with pity to the poor; 
Who, with a sympathizing mind, 

Feels what his fellow-mcii endure. 

2 His heart contrives, for their relief, 
More good than his own hand can do; 
He, in the time ofgen'ral grief. 
Shall find the Lord hath pity too. 

3 This man shall live secure on earth, 
With secret blessings on his head. 
Though sword, or pestilence, or dearth, 
Around him multiply their dead. 

4 Or, if with mortal suffVings try'd, 
SufFVings shall all his soul refine; 
Sweet hope his refuge shall provide. 
And mmister a bliss divine. 

501. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The blessings of the pious and charitable. 
1 T^HRICE happy man, who fears the 
X Lord, 
Loves his commands, and trusts his word! 



Particular Occasions* 



425 



Honour and peace his days attend, 

And blessings to his seed descend. ^ 

Compassion dwells upon his mind; 
To works of mercy still inclin'd: 
He lends the poor some present aid, 
Or gives them, not to be repaid. 

When times grow dark, and tidings spread 
That fill his neighbours round with dread, 
His heart is arm'd against the fear; 
For God with all his pow'r is there* 

His soul, well fixM upon the Lord, 
Draws heav'nly courage from his word: 
Amidst the darkness light shall rise, 
To cheer his heart and bless his eyes. 

He hath dispers'd his alms abroad; 
His works are still before his God: 
His name on earth shall long remain. 
Nor shall his future hopes be vain. 

X 502. 

Proper Metre. Watts. 

The same subject* 

THAT man is blest who stands in awe 
Of God, and loves his sacred law: 
His seed on earth shall be renown'd; 
His house ihe seat of wealth shall be, 
An inexhausted treasury. 

And with successive honours crown'd. 



2 N 2 



426 Particular Occasions* 



2 His libVal favours he extends, 
To some he gives, to others lends; 

A gen'rous pity fills his mind: 
Yet what his charity impairs. 
He saves by prudence in affairs, 

And thus he's just to all mankind. 

3 His hands, while they his alms bestowM, 
His glory's future harvest sow'd: 

The sweet remembrance of the just, 
Like a green root, revives and bears 
A train of blessings for his heirs. 

When dying nature sleeps in dust. 

4 Beset with threatening dangers round, 
Unmov'd shall he maintain his ground; 

His conscience bears his courag6 up: 
The soul that's fill'd with virtue's light, 
Shines brightest in affliction's night, 

And sees in darkness beams of hope. 

503. 

Common Metre. Kiddlrminster Collec. 
Hymn for charity children. 

1 O EE the kind shepherd, Jesus, stands, 
O And calls his sheep by name; 
Gathers the feeble in his arms, 

And feeds the tender lamb. 

2 He'll lead us to the heav'nly streams, 

Where living waters flow; 
And guide us to the fruitful fields. 
Where trees of knowledge grow. 




Particular Occasions* 427 



3 When, wand'ring from the fold, we Ipave 

The straight and narrow way, 
Our faithful shepherd still is near. 
To guide us when we stray. 

4 The feeblest lamb amidst the flock 

Shall be its shepherd's care; 
While folded in our Saviour's arms, 
We're safe from ev'ry snare. 

504. 

Proper Metre. Broadmead Collection. 

Another. 

1 LORY to our heav'nly King! 
VT Bounteous Parent! thee we sing: 
Gratitude the strain inspires, 
Humble hopes, sincere desires. 

Thee we sing, with loud acclaim, 
Praising thy all-glorious name. 

2 God of glory! God of love! 
Lord of all the worlds above! 
Thee we bless for daily food, 
Thee we bless for ev'ry good* 

Thee we sing, &c. 

3 More than all, we praise thee, Lord! 
For the blessings of thy word, 

For the tidings Jesus brought. 
For the precepts Jesus taught. 
Thee we sing, &c. 

4 Gracious Father! heav'nly King! 
Feeble lips presume to sing; 



428 



Particular Occasions. 




Proper Metre. Doddridge* 
For Nezv Tear^s daij. 
1 TT OUSE of our God, with cheerful an- 



While all our lips and hearts his graces sing; 
The op'ning year his bounties shall pro- 
clain[). 

And all its days be vocal with his name. 
The Lord is good, his mercy never-ending, 
His blessings in perpetual show'rs descending. 

2 Thou earth, enlightened by his rays divine, 
Pregnant with grass and corn and oil and 



CrownM with his goodness, let thy nations 
meet, 

And lay their crowns at his paternal feet; 
With grateful love, that lib'ral hand confess- 
ing, 

Which thro' each heart difFuseth ev'ry bless- 
ing- 

3 His mercy never ends; the dawn, the shade, 
Still see new beauties thro' new scenes dis- 
play'd; 

Succeeding ages bless this sure abode, 
And children lean upon their fathers' God* 




wine; 



Particular Occasions. 429 



The soul of man, thro' its immense duration, 
Drinks from this source, immortal consolation. 

4 Burst into praise, my soul! all nature, join; 
Angels and men, in harmony combine: 
While human years are measur'd by the sun^ 
And while eternity its course shall run, 
His goodness in perpetual show'rs descending, 
Exalt in songs and raptures never-ending. 

506. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
The possibility of dying this year. 

1 OD of our lives! thy constant care 
vjr With blessings crowns each opening 

year; 

These lives, so frail, dost thou prolong, 
And wake anew our annual song. 

2 How many precious souls are fled 
To the dark regions of the dead, 
Since, from this day, the changing sun 
Through his last yearly course has run! 

3 We vet survive; but who can say. 

Or through the year, or month, or day, 

I shall retain my vital breath. 

Thus far at least in league with death? 

4 That breath is thine, Erernal God; 
Thine to determine our abode; 
We hold our lives from thee alone, 
On earth or in the world unknown. 



430 Particular Occasiofis. 



5 To thee we all our powVs resign; 
Make us and own us still as thine; 
Then shall we smile, secure from fear, 
Though death should blast the rising year. 

6 Thy children, eager to be gone, 
Bid time's impetuous tide roll on. 
And land them on that blooming shore, 
Where years and death are known no more. 

Long Metre. John Taylor. 

Sun! stand thou still. 

1 TTTHEN Israel's tribes on Gibeon 

VV pour'd. 

The son of Nun unsheathM his sword; 
He bade the sun retard his way. 
And lengthen the victorious day. 

2 Thus when tumultuous passions rise, 
And fame, or pleasure, lures our eyes, 
Or, bent on virtue's path sublime, — 
We chide the swift-wing'd foot of time.. 

3 In vain we war with nature's force; 
Time's rapid car pursues its course; 
Nor virtue's, nor ambition's povv'r 
Can stop the swiftly-moving hour. 

4 The gay and great, the good and just 
Alike are journeying to the dust: 
Then haste, the race of virtue run, 
Nor blame the quick revolving sum 



Particular Occasions. 



431 



5 Bright orb, roll on o'er heavVs wide face; 
Why should our wishes check thy pace? 
Why should we grudge the passing hour, 
Which bears us to the friendly shore? 

6 Days, months and years, your rounds fulfil; 
Witness our virtuous efforts still: 

Nor let one vagrant day pass by, 
Unbless'd by reason's victory. 

508. 

Long Metre. John Taylor. 

And all the days of Methuselah were nine hun- 
dred^ sixty and nine years^ and he died. 

1 T IKE shadows gliding o'er the plain, 
.1 J Or clouds that roll successive on, 
Man's busy generations pass, 

And while we gaze, their forms are 
gone. 

2 Vain was the boast of lengthen'd years| 
The patriarch's full maturity; 

'Twas but a larger drop to swell 
The ocean of eternity. 

3 " He liv'd, — he died;" behold the sum, 
The abstract of th' historian's page! 
Alike, in God's all-seeing eye. 

The infant's day, the patriarch's age. 

4 O Father! in whose mighty hand. 
The boundless years and ages lie; 



432 Particular Occasions* 



Teach us thy boon of life to prize, 
And use the moments as they fly; 

5 To crowd the narrow span of life 
With wise designs and virtuous deeds: 
So shall we wake from death's dark night. 
To share the glory that succeeds. 

509. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
God our helper* 

1 "Tk /T Y helper God! I bless his name; 
•LVx The same his pow'r, his grace the 

same: 

The tokens of his friendly care 
Open, and crown, and close the year. 

2 I 'midst ten thousand dangers stand, 
Supported by his guardian hand; 
And see, when I survey my ways, 
Ten thousand monuments of praise. 

3 Thus far his arm hath led me on; 
Thus far I make his mercy known; 
And, while I tread this desert land. 
New blessings shall new songs demand. 

4 My grateful soul, on Jordan's shore. 
Shall raise one sacred pillar more: 
And bear, in his bright courts above, 
Inscriptions of immortal love. 



Particular Occasions* 



433 



510. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
Help obtained of God. 

1 REAT God! we singthat mighty hand 
VT By which supported, still we stand: 
The op'ning year thy mercy shows; 
That mercy crowns it till it close. 

2 By day, by night, at home, abroad. 
Still we are guarded by our God; 
By his incessant bounty fed, 

By his unerring counsel led. 

3 With grateful hearts the past we owri; 
The future, all to us unknown. 

We to thy guardian care commit. 
And, peaceful, leave before thy feet. 

4 In scenes exalted or depressed, 
Thou art our joy, and thou our rest; 
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise, 
AdorM through all our changing days. 

5 Though death shall interrupt these songs^ 
And seal in silence mortal tongues. 

Our helper God, in whom we trust, 
We'll through eternal ages boast. 

511. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Reflections on our waste of years* 
1 "D EM ARK, my soul, the narrow bounds 
Xv Of the revolving year; 

2 O 



434 Particular Occasions. 



How swift the weeks complete their 
rounds! 

How shoi-t the months appear! 

2 So fast eternity comes on, 

And that important day, 
When all that mortal life has done 
God's judgment shall survey* 

3 Yet like an idle tale we pass 

The swift advancing year; 
And study artful waya t' increase 
The speed of its career. 

4 Waken, O God! my trifling heart, 

Its great concern to see; 
That I may act the christian part^ 
And give the year to thee* 

$ Thus shall their course more grateful 
prove 
If future years arise; 
And bear me, swift as time can move, ^ 
To joy that never dies. 

[FUNERAL OCCASIONS] 

512. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
A funeral thought. 
1 TT ARK! from the tombs an awful sound! 
XjL My ears attend the cry; 
Ye living men! come view the ground, 
Where you must shortly lie." 



Particular Occasions, 



435 



2 " Princes, this clay must be yoMX bed, 

In spite of all your tov/'rs! 
The tall, the wise, the rev'rend head, 
Must lie as low as ours." 

3 Great God! is this our certain doom? 

And are we still secure? 
Still walking downward to the tomb, 
And yet prepare no more? 

4 Grant us the pow'r of quick'ning grace, 

To raise our thoughts on high; 
That we may end this mortal race, 
X And see salvation nigh. 

513. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Meditation on death. 

1 1\/rY thoughts, that oft ascend the skies, 
JLVx Come, search the dust beneath, 
Where nature all in ruin lies. 

And owns the pow'r of death. 

2 See, how the tyrant triumphs here! 

His trophies scattered round! 
What heaps of mouldVmg bones appear 
Through all the hollow ground! 

3 Soon must we leave the banks of life. 

And try death's doubtful sea; 
Vain are our groans, and vain the strife 
To gain a moment^s stay. 

4 Soon shall some friend let fall the tear 

O'er our cold limbs, and say~ 



436 



Particular Occasio7is, 



" Once they were strong as nriine appear, 
And mine must be as they." 

5 Thus shall our lifeless members teach 
What now our senses learn; 
For dust and ashes loudly preach 
Man's first and great concern. 

514. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Death of kindred improved. 

1 1\ /T UST friends and kindred droop and 
IVl die, 

And helpers be withdrawn, 
While sorrow, with a weeping eye, 
Counts up our comforts gone? 

2 Be thou our comfort, mighty God! 

Our helper and our friend: 
Nor leave us in this dangVous road, 
Till all our trials end. 

3 O may our feet pursue the way 

Our pious fathers led; 
While love and holy zeal obey 

The counsels of the dead. ^ 

4 Let us be wean'd from earthly joys, 

Let hope our grief dispel; 
The dead in Jesus shall arise, 
In endless bliss to dwell. 



Particular Occasions. 43 ST 



515. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

On the death of a parent* 

1 nnHO' nature's voice you must obey, 

X Think, while your swelling griefs 
overflow, 

That hand, which takes your joys away. 
That sovereign hand can heal your woe. 

2 And while your mournful thoughts deplore 
The parent gone, remov'd the friend! 
With heart resigned, His grace adore, 

On whom your nobler hopes depend. 

3 Does he not bid his children come 
Through death's dark shades, to realms of 

light? 

Yet, when he calls them to their home, 
Shall fond survivors mourn their flight? 

4 His word — here let your soul rely— 
Immortal consolation gives: 

Your heav'nly Father cannot die, 
Th' eternal Friend for ever lives. 

5 O be that best of friends your trust. 
On his almighty arm recline; 

He, when your comforts sink in dust. 
Can give you blessings more divine. 
2 O a 



4S8 Particular Occasions* 



516. 



Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

On the death of a young^ person. 



w f a ay 

By death's resistless hand. 
Our hearts the mournful tribute pay, 
Which pity must demand. 

2 While pity prompts the rising sigh, 

O may this truth, imprest 
With awful pow'r — I too must die — 
Sink deep in evVy breast. 

3 Let this vain world delude no more; 

Behold the gaping tomb; 
It bids us seize the present hour, 
To-morrow death may come. 

4 The voice of this alarming scene 

May evVy heart obey; 
Nor be the heav'nly warning vain, 
Which calls to watch and pray. 



Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

On the death of a child. 

1 T IFE is a span, a fleeting hour; 
, t A How soon the vapour flies! 
Man is a tender transient flowV, 
That ev'n in blooming dies* 




blooming youth is snatchM 



517. 



Particular Occasions. 439 



2 Death spreads like winter's frozen arms. 
And beauty smiles no more: 
Ah! where are now those rising charms 
Which pleas'd our eyes before? 

'I s The once lov'd form, now cold and dead, 
Each mournful thought employs; 
And nature weeps her comforts fled, 
And withered all her joys. 

i 4 But wait the interposing gloom, 
I And lo! — stern winter flies; 

And, drest in beauty's fairest bloom. 
The flow'ry tribes arise. 

I 5 Hope looks beyond the bounds of time, 
When what we now deplore. 
Shall rise in full immortal prime, 
And bloom to fade no more. 

6 Then cease, fond nature! cease thy tears: 
Religion points on high; 
There everlasting spring appears, 
And joys that cannot die« 

518. / yf ^ 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Comfort for parents on the loss of children. 

I II mourning saints, whose streaming 

X tears 
' Flow o'er your children dead! 
Say not in transports of despair 
That all your hopes are fled. 



440 Particular Occasions. 



2 While, cleaving to that darling dust, 

In fond distress ye lie, 
Rise, and with joy and rev'rence view 
A heav'nly Parent nigh. 

3 Though, your young branches torn away, 

Like witherM trunks ye stand, 
With fairer verdure shall ye bloom, 
TouchM by the Almighty's hand- 

4 " I'll give the mourner," saith the Lord, 

" In my own house a place; 
No names of daughters and of sons 
Could yield so high a grace/' 

5 " Transient and vain is ev'ry hope 

A rising race can give; 
In endless honour and delight, 
My children all shall live." 

6 Wc welcome, Lord! those rising tears 

Through which thy face we see, 
And bless those wounds which thro' our 
hearts, 
Prepare a way for thee. 



▼ V borne. 
Around their cold remains 
How all the tender passions mourn. 
And each fond heart complains! 



519. 




Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Hope in the death of friends. 
7C THILE to the grave our friends are 



Particular Occasions. 44'1 



2 But down to earth, alas! in vain 

We bend our weeping eyes: 
Ah! let us leave these seats of pain. 
And upwards learn to rise. 

3 Hope vheerful smiles amid the gloom, 

And bearos a healing ray; 
And guides us, from the darksome tomb, 
To realms of endless day. 

4 To those bright courts, when hope ascends, 

She calms the swelling woe; 
In hope we meet our happy friends, 
And tears forget to flow. 

5 Then let our hearts repine no more, 

That earthly comfort dies; 
But lasting happiness explore, 
And aak it from the skies. 

520. 

Long Metre. Salisbury Collection. 
A funeral hymn. 

1 '"T'^HE God of love will sure indulge 

X The flowing rear, the heaving sigh, 
When righteous persons fall around. 
When tender friends and kindred die. 

2 Yet not one anxious murmVing thought 
Should with our mourning passions blend; 
Nor should our bleeding hearis forget 
Th' almighty ever-living Friend. 



442 Particular Occasions. 



3 Parent, Protector, Guardian, Guide! 
Thou art each tender name in one; 
On thee we cast our ev'ry care. 
And comfort seek from thee alone. 

4 Our Father God! to thee we look. 

Our Rock, our Portion, and our Friend! 
And on thy gracious love and truth 
Our sinking souls shall still depend. 

521. 

Common Metre. Watts, 

The funeral of a Christian. 

1 T T THY do we mourn departing friends, 

V V Or shake at death's alarms? 
' Tis but the voice that Jesus sends, 
To call them to his arms. 

2 The graves of all his saints he bless'd. 

And soften'd ev'ry bed: 
Where should the dying members rest. 
But with their dying head? 

3 Thence he arose, ascending high. 

And show'd our feet the way; 
Up to the Lord our flesh shall fly. 
At the great rising day. 

4 Then let the last loud trumpet sound. 

And bid our kindred rise: 
Awake, ye nations under ground! 
Ye saints, ascend the skies! 



Particular Occasions. 443 



522. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Christian patience^ consolation and hope. 

ITS there no kind, no lenient art, 
JL To heal the anguish of the heart? 
To ease the heavy load of care, 
Which nature must, but cannot bear? 

2 Can reason's dictates be obey'd? 
Too weak, alas! her strongest aid; 
O let religion then be nigh. 

Her comforts were not made to die. 

3 Her powerful aid supports the soul. 
And nature owns her kind control^ 
While she unfolds the sacred page, 
Our fiercest griefs resign their rage. 

4 Then, gentle patience smiles on pain. 
And dying hope revives again; 

Hope wipes the tear from sorrow's eye. 
And faith points upward to the sky: 

-5 The promise guides her ardent flight, 
And joys, unknown to sense, invite 
Those blissful regions to explore. 
Where pleasures bloom to fade no more* 

523. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
For a congregation on the death of its minister* 

ri T ET our dejected hearts revive, 
And all our tears be dry: 



444 Particular Occasions, 

Why should those eyes be drownM in tears^ 
Which view a Father nigh? 

2 Though earthly shepherds dwell in dust. 

The aged and the young; 
The watchful eye in darkness closM, 
And mute th' instructive tongue: 

3 Th' Eternal Shepherd still survives, 

New comfort to impart; 
His eye still guides us, and his voice 
Still animates our heart. 

4 To him, when mortal comforts fail. 

His suppliant people fly; 
And on his never-faihng care, 
With cheerful hope rely. 

5 The pow'rs of nature. Lord! are thine; 

And thine the aids of grace: 
Thine arm has borne thy churches up, 
Through evVy rising race. 

6 Exert thy sacred influence here. 

Thy mourning servants bless: 
O change to strains of cheerful praise. 
Their accents of distress. 



524. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
On occasion of a dreadful fire. 

1 TERN AL God! our humbled souls 
■ Mi Before thy presence bow: 



Particular Occasions. 445 



With all thy magazines of wrath, 
How terrible art thou! 

2 Fann'd by thy breath, whole sheets of flame 
Like a wild deluge pour; 
And all our confidence of wealth 
Lies mouldered in an hour. 

s3 Led on by thee in horrid pomp, 
Destruction rears its head; 
And blackenM walls, and smoking heaps, 
Thro' all the streets are spread. 

4 Lord! in the dust we lay us down, 

And mourn thy righteous ire; 
Yet bless the hand of guardian love. 
That snatchM us from the fire. 

5 O may we view, with daundess eyes, 

The last tremendous day. 
When earth and seas, and stars and skies, 
In flames shall melt away. 

525. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Carter. 

In a thunder-storm. 

1 T ET coward guilt, with pallid fear, 
1 ^ To sheltVing caverns fly. 

And jusdy dread the vengeful fate 
That thunders thro' the sky. 

2 Protected by that hand, whose law 

The threatening storms obey, 

2 P 



446 Particular Occasions. 



Intrepid virtue smiles secure 
As in the blaze of day. 

3 In the thick cloud's tremendous gloom, 

The lightning's lurid glare, 
It views the same all-gracious PowV 
That breathes the vernal air. 

4 Thro' nature's ever-varying scene, 

By diff'rent ways pursu'd, 
The one eternal end of Heav'n 
Is universal good. 

^ I [NATIONAL HYMNS.] 



Proper Metre. Merrick. 
Prayer for national and universal blessings^ 

1 /T AY God his fav'ring ear incline, 
JLVX And bid his face on Isr'el shine. 
That all thy counsels, Lord! may know, 
Where earth extends, or oceans flow, 
And, thankful, to their wond'ring eyes, 
Behold thy wish'd salvation rise. 

To thee, of life th' eternal spring. 
Invisible, all- potent King! 
One chorus let the nations raise, 
One shout of universal praise. 

2 Ye distant realms! your voice employ 
In songs of gratitude and joy; 
Exult, each tribe! exult, each land! 
Heav'n's mighty Lord, with equal hand. 




526. 



Particular Occasians. 447 



The balance holds, and earth's domain 
Shall own to latest age his reign. 
To thee, of life, &c. 

3 So, warm'd by genial suns, the field 
With full increase its fruit shall yield, 
And God, thy God, O Israel! shed 
His choicest blessings on thy head: 
God shall on us his blessings showV, 
And man's whole race revere his pow'r. 
To thee, of life, &c. 

527. 

Long Metre. Butcher. 
Divine judgments deprecated. 

1 shall not tremble, mighty God! 
V V Before thine all- controlling rod? 

And own the potence of that sway, 
Which speaks, and sweeps whole worlds 
away? 

2 When daring sins provoke thine ire. 
Where shall the guilty tribes retire? 

In vain thro' heav'n and earth they flee, 
For heav'n and earth are full of thee! 

3 Lorb! when, to scourge a guilty race. 
Thine awful wrath restrains thy grace, 
Let mercy, like an ark, defend 

The souls that to thy voice attend. 



448 Particular Occasions^ 



528. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

• Peace and protection from God. 

1 "VT^E righteous! in your King rejoice, 

X Tho* tyrants rage, and kingdoms risej 
He utters his aimighry voice, — 
The nations melt, the tumult dies. 

2 From sea to sea, through all the shores, 
He makes the noise of battles cease: 
When from on high his thunder roars^ 
He awes the trembling world to peace. 

3 He breaks the bow, he cuts the spear; 
Chariots he burns wiih heav'nly flame: 
Ke p silence, all the earth! and hear 
The sound and glory of his name. 

4 still, and know that I am God; 
I'll be exalted o'er the lands; 

I will be known and fear'd abroad; 
But stili my throne in Zion stands. 

529. 

Common Metre. Patrick. 

National tranquillity and security from GoD*^ 

1 TN vain opp'vsing nations rage, 
X If GoD with us abide; 
One word -f his dissolves iheir strength, 
And humbles all their pride* 



Particular Occasions, 449 



2 His wisdom sees correction meet; 

He gives the dread command, 
And war its desolation spreads 
Thro' ev'ry trembling land. 

3 His purpose wrought, again he speaks, 

And desolations cease; 
War's loud alarms are heard no more, 
And all the world is peace. 

4 Mortals, adore his sovereign pow V, 

Nor dare provoke his rod; 
Thro' all your various tribes be still, 
And know that he is God. 



530. 

Long Metre. Aikin. 

Hymn in time of war. 

1 TTITHILE sounds of war are heard 

V V around. 
And death and ruin strew the ground; 
To thee we look, on thee we call, 
The Parent and the Lord of all. 

2 Thou, who hast stamp'd on human kind 
The image of a heav'n-born mind, 
And in a Father's wide embrace 

Hast cherish'd all the kindred race; 

3 O see, with what insatiate rage 

Thy sons their impious battles wage; 
How spreads destruction like a flood. 
And brothers shed their brother's blood! 
2 P 2 



450 Particular Occasions. 



4 See guilty passions spring to birth, 
And deeds of hell deform the earth; 
Whilt righteousness and justice mourn, 
And love and pity droop forlorn. 

5 Great God! whose powerful hand can bind 
The raging waves, the furious wind, 

O bid the human tempest cease, 

And hush the madd'ning world to peace. 

6 With rev'rence may each hostile land 
Hear and obey that high command. 
Thy Son's blest errand from above — 

My creatures, live in mutual love!" 

/ 531. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 

The same subject* 

1 COME, behold a scene of dread! 
Behold a w^orld with slaughter spread? 

And know, 'tis God who bids each land 
Thus feel the terrors of his hand. 

2 'Tis his again the earth to cheer 
To break the bow, to snap the spear. 
To wrap in flames the glittVing car, 
And hush the tumult of the war. 

3 Behold us, Lord! oppressed wnth woe. 
As exil'd from thy care we go: 
Repuls'd, dispersed, chastis'd by thee, 
Grant us again thy face to see. 

4 O thou, the God whom we adore! 
Our breaches heal, our peace restore: 



Particular Occasions. 451 



Our hope, on man repos'd in vain, 

O let thy strength, great God! sustain. 

5 The objects of thy tendVest love 
O save, propitious from above! 
Let us with them thy mercy share, 
And hear, O hear, our ceaseless pray'r! 

532. 

Common Metre. Tate. 
National deliverance. 

1 ^ I ^HY gracious favour, Lord! display, 

X Which we have long implor'd; 
And, for thy wondrous mercies' sake, 
Thy wonted aid afford. 

2 God's answer patiently I'll wait; 

For he with glad success. 
If they no more to folly turn, 
His mourning saints will bless. 

3 To all that fear his holy name 

His sure salvation's near; 
And in its former happy state 
Our nation shall appear. 

4 For Mercy, now, with Truth is join'd,^ 

And Righteousness with Peace, 
Like kind companions, absent long. 
With friendly arms embrace. 

5 Truth from the earth shall spring, whilst 

heav'n 

Shall streams of justice pour; 



452 Particular Occasions. 



And God, from whom all goodness flows 
Shall endless plenty show'r. 

6 Before him Righteousness shall march. 
And his just paths prepare; 
Whilst we his holy steps pursue, 
With constant zeal and care. 

533. 

Common Metre. Pitt. 

God speaking' peace. 

1 O TILL to the mighty Lord of hosts^ 
O Securely we resort; 

Fo' refuge fly to Jacob's God, 
Our succour and support. 

2 Hither, ye numVous nations, crowd. 

In silent rapture stand. 
And see, o'er all the earth displayed, 
The wonders of his hand. 

He bids the din of war be still. 

And all its tumults cease; 
He bids the guiltless trumpets sound 

The harmony of peace. 

4 He breaks the tough, reluctant bow.> 

Asunder cuts the spear. 
And, in the crackling fire, his hand 
Consumes the blazing car. 

5 Hear, then, his formidable voice, 

" Be still, and know the Lord; 



Particular Occasions. 453 



By all the heathen I'll be fear'd, 
By all the earth ador'd." 

6 Still, to the mighty Lord of hosts 
Securely we resort; 
For refuge fly to Jacob's God, 
Our succour and support. 

534. 

Common Metre. Jervis. 

The designs of providence in the changes and 
revolutions of the world. 

1 OD, to correct a guilty world, 
VX In wrath is slow to rise; 

But comes at length, in thunder clothM, 
And darkness veils the skies. 

2 His awful banners, lifted high, 

The nations' God declare; 
And stain'd with blood, with terrors 
mark'd, 
Spread wonder and despair. 

3 All earthly glory, pomp and pride, 

Are in his presence lost: 
Empires o'erturn'd, thrones, sceptres, 
crowns, 
In wild confusion tost. 

4 While war and misery prevail, 

And desolation wide; 
In God, the sov'reign Lord of all, 
The righteous still confide. 



454 



Particular Occasions. 



5 Dark and mysterious is the course 

Of his tremendous way: 
His path is in the trackless winds^ 
And in the foaming sea. 

6 Yet, though enveloped in the cloud, 

And from our view concealed, 
The righteous Judge will soon appcj 
In majesty reveal' d] 

7 Then will he curb the lawless pow'r, 

The deadly wrath of man; 
And all the windings will unfold 
Of his own gracious plan. 

8 Then all the sons of tyranny 

In ruin shall be hurlM; 
And light, and liberty, and bliss, 
Embrace the new-bom world. 



Long Metre. Doddridge. 
Thanksgiving for national deliverance. 
1 13RAISE to the Lord, who bows hi& 



JL ear 

Propitious to his people's prayV; 
And, tho' delivVance long delay, 
Answers in his well chosen day. 

2 Our temples, guarded from the flame, 
Shall echo thy triumphant name; 
And evVy peaceful private home 
To thee a temple shall become. 



535. 




Particular Occasions. 



455 



3 Still be it our supreme delight 
To walk as in thy honoured sight; 
Still in thy precepts and thy fear, 
Till life's last hour to persevere. 

536. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Praise for national peace* 

1 RE AT Ruler of the earth and skies! 
vJT A word of thine almighty breath 
Can sink the world, or bid it rise: 

Thy smile is life, thy frown is death. 

2 When angry nations rush to arms, 

And rage, and noise, and tumult reign, . 
And war resounds its dire alarms. 
And slaughter dyes the hostile plain: 

3 Thy sovereign eye looks calmly down, 

And marks their course, and bounds their ^ 
pow'r; ,4^ 
Thy law the angry nations own, 
And noise and war are heard no more. 

is 4 Then peace returns with balmy wing; 

Sweet peace! with her what blessings fled! j^l 
Glad plenty laughs, the valleys sing. 
Reviving commerce lifts her head. 

5 Thou good, and wise, and righteous Lord! 
All move subservient to thy will; 
Both peace and war await thy word^ 
And thy sublime decrees fulfil. 



456 Particular Occasions. 

6 To thee we pay our grateful songs, 
Thy kind protection still implore: 
O may our hearts, and lives, and tongues 
Confess thy goodness, and adore! 

537. 

Proper Metre. Doddridge. 

Thanksgiving for peace. 

1 OW let our songs address the God of 

peace, 

Who bids the tumult of the battle cease; 
The pointed spears to pruning hooks he 
bends, 

And the broad falchion in the plough-share 
ends. 

His powerful word unites contending nations, 
In kind embrace, and friendly salutations. 

2 While we beneath our vines and fig-trees 

sit, 

Or thus within thy sacred temple meet, 
Accept, great God! the tribute of our song. 
And all the mercies of this day prolong: 
Then spread thy peaceful word thro' ev'ry 
nation. 

That all the earth may hail thy great salvation. 

538. 

Proper Metre. Lewins Mead Coll. 
On peace. 

1 Tr)EACE! the welcome sound proclaim, 
Jl Dwell with rapture on the theme; 



Particular Occasions. 



457 



Loud, still louder swell the strain: 
Peace on earth! good-will to men! 

2 Breezes, whispMng soft and low, 
Gently murmur as ye blow, 
Now, when war and discord cease, 
Praises to the God of peace. 

3 Ocean's billows! far and wide, 
Rolling in majestic pride, 
Loud, still louder, swell the strain: 
Peace on earth! good-will to men! 

4 Vocal songsters of the grove! 
Sweetly chant in notes of love, 
Now, when war and discord cease, 
Praises to the God of peace. 

5 Mortals! who these blessings feel; 
Christians! who before him kneel; 
Loud, still louder, swell the strain: 
Peace on earth! good-will to men. 

[CLOSE OF THE SERVICE.] 



1 nnHANKS for mercies past, receive; 

X Pardon of our sins renew; 
Teach us henceforth how to live, 
With eternity in view. 

2 Bless thy word to old and young; 
Grant us, Lord! thy peace and love; 




2Q 



458 Particular Occasions. 



And, e'er life's short race is run, 
Fit us ifor thy house above. 

^ '■'■^ 540. 

Common Metre. Deacon. 

Close of the service. 

1 FOR a plenitude of grace, 
Descending from above! 

To animate the human race 
With peace, and joy, and love. 

2 Grant, heav'nly King! what we desire; 

And send the happy day, 
When all shall after thee inquire, 
And cheerfully obey. 

3 Then will the nations serve the Lorb 

With purity and zeal; 
With candour hear his blessed word,. 
With pleasure do his will. 

541. 

Proper Metre. Toplady. 
The same subject* 

1 T ORD! dismiss us with thy blessing; 
X_-i Fill our hearts with joy and peace: 
Let us, each thy love possessing, 

Triumph in redeeming grace: 

O refresh us. 
Traveling thro' this wilderness. 

2 Thanks we give, and adoration, 
For thy gospel's joyful sound: 



Particular Occasions. 459 



May the fruits of thy salvation 
In our hearts and lives abound: 

May thy presence 
With us evermore be found. 

542. ^ 

Long Metre. 

At the close of the evening service. 

1 T TOW blest is he, whose tranquil mind, 
JL X When life declines, recalls again 
The years that time has cast behind. 
And reaps delight in toitand pain. 

2 So, when the transient storm is past, 
The sudden gloom, and driving show'r; 
The sweetest sunshine is the last, 
The loveliest, is the ev'ning hour. 

\/ 543. 

Common Metre. 
The same subject. 

1 O OON will our fleeting hours be past; 
O And as the setting sun 

Now leaves the clouds in yonder west, 
Our parting beams be gone. 

2 May he, from whom all blessings flow, 

Our sacred rites attend; 
Unite our hearts in wisdom's ways, 
T ill life's short journey end: 

3 And as the rapid sands run down, 

Our virtue still improve; 



460 Particular Occasions^ 



Till each receives the glorious crown 
Of never-fading love. 

544. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
The Christian farewell. 

1 TPHY presence, everlasting God! 

jL Wide thro' all nature spreads abroad: 
Thy watchful eyes, which never sleep, 
In ev'ry place thy children keep. 

2 While near each other we remain, 
Thou dost our lives and pow'rs sustain; 
When sepVate, we rejoice to share 
Thy counsels, and thy gracious care. 

3 To thee we now commit our ways, 
And still implore thy heav'nly grace; 
Still cause thy face on us to shine, 

, And guard and guide us still as thine. 

4 Give us, in thy beloved house, 
Again to pay our grateful vows; 
Or, if that joy no more be known. 
Give us to meet around thy throne. 



PART XVL 



Domestic and Private Worship. 

(C?* It will readily occur to the intelligent reader, that 
many of the hynnns classed under this head are not 
exclusively confined either to domestic or private 
"worship, but may with great propriety be used in 
public assemblies of Christians. 

545. 

Long Metre. Doddridge. 
Family religion* 

1 in ATHER of men! thy care we bless, 
JL Which crowns our fanriilies with peace: 
From thee they sprung, and by thy hand 
Their root and branches are sustain'd. 

2 To God, most worthy to be prais'd, 
Be our domestic altars rais'd; ' 

Tho' Lord of heav'n, he deigns to dwell 
With saints in their obscurest cell. 

3 To thee let each united house. 
Morning and night, present its vows: 
Our servants thtre, and rising race, 
Be taught thy precepts and thy grace. 

4 O may each future age proclaim 
The honours of thy glorious name; 
While pleas'd, and thankful, we remove 
To join the family above. 

2Q2 



462 



Domestic and 




1 T;\7HERE'ER the Lord shall build 



An altar to his name I'll raise; 
There, morn and ev'ning, shall ascend 
The sacrifice of pray'r and praise. 

2 With duteous mind, the social band 
Shall search the records of thy law; 
There learn thy will, and humbly bow 
With filial reverence and awe. 

3 If numerous blessings of the earth 
Indulgent providence afford, 
With warm united hearts we'll pay 
Our grateful tribute to the Lord. 

4 Here may he fix his sacred seat. 
And spread the banner of his love; 
Till, ripen'd for a happier state. 

We meet th' assembl'd church above. 



Common Metre. D. Taylor's Collec. 



1 RE AT God! where'er we pitch our 
vX tent. 

Let us an altar raise; 
And there, with humble frame, present 
Our sacrifice of praise. 




my house. 



547. 



The same subject. 



Private Worship* 463 

2 To thee we give our health and s^^rength, 
WhUi htalth aad srren^ib shjii last; 
For lature mercies humbly trust, 
Nor q'er forget the past. 

548. V 

Short Metre. Watts. 

Domestic peace and harmony. 

1 T O, what a pleasing sight 
JL^ Are brethren that agree! 

How blest are all whose hearts unite 
In bands of piety! 

2 From those celestial springs, 
Such streams of comfort flow, 

As no increase of riches brings, 
Nor honours can bestow. 

3 All in their stations move, 
And each performs his part, 

In all the cares of life and love, 
With sympathizing heart: 

4 Form'd for the purest joys. 
By one desire possest; 

One aim the zeal of all employs, 
To make each other blest. 

5 No bliss can equal theirs, 
Where such affections meet: 

While praise devout, and mingPd pray'rs^ 
Make their communion sweet* 



464 



Domestic and 



6 'Tis the same pleasure fills 
The breast in worlds above; 
Where joy like morning dew distils, 
And all the air is love. 

549. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Barbauld. 
Pious frieiidship. 

1 T TOW blest the sacred tie that binds 
XJL In union sweet, according minds! 
How swift the heav'nly course they run, 
Whose hearts, whose faith, whose hopei 

are one! 

2 To each, the soul of each how dear! 
What jealous love, what holy fear! 
How doth the genVous flame within 
Refine from earth, and cleanse from sin! 

3 Their streaming eyes together flow 
For human guilt and mortal woe; 
Their ardent pray Vs together rise. 
Like mingling flames in sacrifice. 

4 Together both they seek the place 
Where God reveals his awful face: 

How high, how strong, their raptures swell 
There's none but kindred souls can tell. 

5 Nor shall the glowing flame expire 
'Midst nature's drooping sick'ning fire; 
Soon shall they meet in realms above, 
A heav'n of joy — because of love. 



m 




465 



Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Living' habitually in the fear o/Gob, 
■p^HRICE happy men who, born from 



heav'n. 

While yet they sojourn here. 
Each day of life with God begin, 
And spend it in his fear. 

'Midst hourly cares, may we present 

Our off 'rings to thy throne; 
And while the world our hands employs, 

Oar hearts be thine alone. 

As sanctify'd to noblest ends, 
Be each refreshment sought; 

And by each various providence 
Some wise instruction brought. 

When to laborious duties call'd, 

Or by temptations try'd, 
We'll seek the shelter of thy wings, 

And in thy strength confide. 

As different scenes of life arise, 
Our grateful hearts would be 

With thee amidst the social band. 
In solitude with thee. 

In solid pure delights like these, 

Let all our days be patst j 
Nor shall we then impatient wish, 

Nor shall we fear the last. 




466 



Domestic and 



551. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

Joy and prosperity from the blessing' of God^ 

1 O HINE on our souls, Eternal God! 
O With rays of mercy shine: 

O let thy favour crown our days, 
And their whole course be thine. 

2 Did we not raise our hands to thee^ 

Our hands might toil in vain: 
Small joy success itself could give, 
If thou thy love restrain. 

3 With thee let evVy week begin, 

With thee each day be spent, 
For thee each fleeting hour improved, 
Since each by thee is lent. 

4 Thus cheer us thro' this toilsome road. 

Till all our labours cease; 
And thus prepare our weary souls 
For everlasting peace. 

552. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Secret devotion, 

1 XpATHER Divine! thy piercing eye - 
JL Looks thro' the shades of night; 
In deep retiiement thou art nigh, 
With heart-discerning sight. 



Private Worship. 



467 



2 There shall that piercing eye survey 

My humble worship paid, 
With ev'ry morning's dawning ray, 
And ev'ry cv'ning's shade. 

3 I'll leave behind each earthly care; 

To thee my soul shall soar; 
While grateful praise and fervent pray'r 
Employ the silent hour. 

4 So shall the visits of thy love 

My soul in secret bless; 
So shalt thou deign, in worlds above, 
Thy suppliant to confess. 



Long Metre. Watts. 
Retirement and meditation* 

1 TV /TY God! permit me not to be 
±Mjl a stranger to myself and thee: 
Amidst a thousand thoughts I rove, 
Forgetful of my highest love. 

2 Why should my passions mix with earth, 
And thus debase myheav'nly birth? 
Why should I cleave to things below. 
And let my God, my Father, go? 

3 Call me away from flesh and sense; 
Thy gracious word can draw me thence; 
I would obey the voice divine, 

And all inferior joys resign. 

4 Be earth, with all her scenes, withdrawn; 
Let noise and vanity be gone; 



553. 




468 



Doinestic and 



In secret silence of the mind. 

My heav'n, and there my God, I find. 

554. 

Common Metre. Cowper. 

The same subject. 

1 AR from the world, O Lord! I flee, 
JL From strife and tumult far; 
From scenes where sin is waging still 

Its most successful war. 

2 The calm retreat, the silent shade, 

With pray'r and praise agree; 
And seem by thy sweet bounty made 
For those who follow thee. 

2 There, if thy presence cheer the soul, 
And grace her mean abode; 
O with what peace, and joy, and love, 
She communes with her God! 

4 There like the nightingale, she pours 

Her solitary lays; 
Nor asks a witness of her song. 
Nor thirsts for human praise. 

5 Author and Guardian of my life, 

Sweet Source of light divine; 
And all harmonious names in one, 
My Father — thou art mine! 

6 What thanks I owe thee, and what love, 

A boundless, endless store. 
Shall echo thro' the realms above, 
When time shall be no more. 



Private Worship. 



555. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Devotion in sickness* 

1 TTV ISE ASES are thy servants, Lord! 
jlJ They come at thy command; 

I'll not attempt a murm'riog word 
Against thy chastening hand. 

2 I'm but a sojourner below, 

As all my fathers were; 
?ilay I be well prepared to go, 
When I the summons hear. 

3 But if my life be spar'd awhile, 

Before n^y last remove. 
Thy praise shall be my business still, 
And I'll declare thy love. 

556. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Healthy sickness^ and recovery. 

1 IRM was my health, my day was bright, 
X And I presumed 'twould ne'er be night: 
Fondly I said within my heart. 
Pleasure and peace shall ne'er depart. 

2 But I forgot thine arm was strong. 
Which made my mountain stand so long; 
And when thy face was turn'd aside. 
My health was gone, my comforts dy'd» 

2 R 



470 



Do?nestic nnd 



3 Hear me, O God of grace! I said, 
And raise me from among the dead; 
Thy word rebukM the pains I felt, 
Thy pard'ning love remov'd my guilt. 

4 I will extol thee, Lord! on high; 
At thy command diseases fly: 
Who but a God can speak and save 
From the dark borders of the grave? 

5 Thine anger but a moment stays; 
Thy love is life and length of days; 
Tho' grief and tears the night employ, 
The morning star restores the joy. 

557. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 

The benefit of divine correction* 

1 TN devious paths awhile I trod, 
X Ere yet corrected by thy rod; 
But disciplined, Great Sire! by thee, 
Obsequious bow to thy decree. 

2 Blest be thy hand, severely kind. 
Whose stroke recall'd my erring mind. 
And urg'd me, as to thee I turn, 

Thy hallowM institutes to learn. 

3 But O! if yet my sins demand 
The wise corrections of thy hand, 
Lord! give my pains their bounds toknoWj 
And fix a period to my woe. 

4 Hence, ye profane! my Saviour hears; 
While yet I speak, he wipes my tears: 



Private Worship. 



471 



My Saviour bears; and deigns to save 
His servant from the op'ning grave. 

558. 

Con^mon Metre. Watts. 
Benefit of afUctions^ and support under them. 

1 ONSiDER all my sorrows, Lord! 

And thy deliv'rance send: 
My soul for thy salvation faints, 
When will my troubles end! 

2 Yet I have found 'tis good for me 

To bear my Father's rod; 
Afflictions make me learn thy law, 
A,nd live upon my God. 

3 This is the comfort I enjoy 

When new distress begins, 
I read thy word, I run thy way, 
And hate niy former sins. 

4 Had not thy word been my delight. 

When earthly joys were fled, 
My soul, oppressed with sorrow's weighty 
Had sunk amongst the dead. 

5 I know thy judgments, Lord! are right, 

Tho' they may seem severe; 
The sharpest suff 'rings I endure 
Flow from thy faithful care. 

6 Before I knew thy chast'ning rod 

My feet were apt to stray; 



472 



Domestic and 



But now I learn to keep thy word, 
Nor wander from thy way. 



559. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Recovery from sickness. 

1 T LOVE the Lord; he heard my cries, 
A And pity'd evV} groan: 

Long as I live, when troubles rise, 
I'll hasten to his throne. 

2 I love the Lord; he bow'd his ear, 

And chas'd my griefs away: 
O let my heart no more despair 
While 1 have breath to pray! 

3 Am'.ngthe saints that fill thine house, 

My off 'rings shall be paid; 
There shall my zeal perform the vows 
My soul in anguish i^adc. 

4 The Lord beheld me sore distrest. 

He bade my pains remove; 
Return, my soul, to G -D, thy rest. 
For thou hast known his love. 

560. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 
Recovery from sickness. 

1 T^/TY God! thy service well demands 
JLVx The remnant of my days; 



Private Worship. 4/3 



Why was this fleeting breath renewed 
But to renew thy praise? 

2 Thine arms of everlasting love 

Did this weak frame sustain, 
When life was hov'ring o'er the grave, 
And nature sunk in pain. 

3 Calmly I bowM my fainting head 

Upon thy faithful breast; 
PleasM to obey my Father's call, 
To his eternal rest. 

4 Into thy hands, my Saviour God, 

Did I my soul resign, 
In firm dependence on that truth 
Which made salvation mine. 

5 Back, from the borders of the grave, 

At thy command I come; 
Nor would I urge a speedier flight 
To my celestial home. 

6 Where thou determin'st mine abode, 

There would I chuse to be; 
For in thy presence death is life, 
And earth is heav'n with thee. 

561. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 

Support and deliverance in affitction. 

1 ^wfOW to thy heav'nly Father's praisej 
JLN My heart, thy tribute bring: 
2 R2 



4/4 



Domestic and 



That goodness which prolongs my days, 
With grateful pleasure sing. 

2 Whene'er he sends afflicting pains, 

His mercy holds the rod; 
His powVful word the heart sustains, 
And speaks a faithful God. 

3 A faithful God is ever nigh. 

When humble grief implores; 
His ear attends each plaintive sigh, 
He pities and restores. 

4 Lord! I am thine, for ever thine, 

Nor shall my purpose move; 
Thy hand, that loosM my bonds of pain, 
Has bound me with thy love. 

562. 

Common Metre. Doddridge. 

Praise for recovery from sickness. 

1 Q OV'REIGN of life! I own thy hand 

In ev'ry chast'ning stroke; 
And while I smart beneath thy rod, 

Thy presence I invoke. 

2 To thee in my distress I cry'd. 

And thou hastbowM thine ear; 
Thy powVful word my life prolonged, 
And brought salvation near. 

3 Unfold the gates of righteousness, 

That, with the pious throng, 

1 may record my solemn vows, 
And tune my grateful song* 



Private Worship* 



475 



4 Praise to the Lord, whose gentle hand 

Renews our lab'ring breath: 
Praise to the Lord, who makes his saints 
Triumphant ev'n in death. 

5 My God, in thine appointed hour 

Those heav'nly gates display, 
Where pain and sin, and fear and death, 
For ever flee away: 

6 There, while the nations of the bless'd 

With raptures bow around. 
My anthems to deliv'ring grace 
In sweeter strains shall sound. 

563. 

Long Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
Gratitude and devotion. 

1 T THAT shall I render to the Lord, 

V V Or how his wondrous grace record? 
To him my grateful voice I'll raise, 
And pour libations to his praise. 

2 His crowded courts shall see me pay 
The vows of my distressful day; 

In life and death the saints shall find 
Their guardian God for ever kind. 

3 Thy servant, Lord! is wholly thine, 
By nature's ties, and bonds divine; 
From deep distress, and sorrow free, 
Anew I give myself to thee. 



476 



Domestic and 



564. 



Common Metre. Boyse. 

Life reviewecL 



1 T If THEN o'er the trodden paths of life, 



What varied scenes throughout the road 
Awaken my surprise! 

2 Thousands, to whom my natal hour 

Imparted vital breath, 
Just lookM on life, and clos'd their eyes 
In the fast sleep of death. 

3 Thousands, who climb'd to manhood's 

stage. 

Safe thro' «nnumber'd snares, 
Travell'd not far before they sunk 
Amidst its thorns and cares. 

4 FoUow'd thro' ev'ry changing stage, 

With goodness all my days. 
Deny me not a heart to love, 
A tongue to speak thy praise. 

5 Ten thousand thousand thanks to thee 

Echo along the road; 
O! may I join those endless songs 
That fill thy blest abode. 




Backwards I turn mine eyes. 



Private Worship. 



565. 

Long Metre. Stogdon. 

Despair no virtue* 

1 T '^T'HAT mean theae jealousies and 

▼ » fears^ 
As if my Lord were loth to save? 
Or lov'd to see us steep'd in tears, 
And sink with sorrow to the grave? 

2 Does he want slaves to grace his throne? 
Or crush them with an iron rod? 

Is he refreshM to hear us groan? 
Is he a tyrant, or a God? 

3 Not all th' iniquities thou'st wrought, 
So much his tender bowels grieve, 
As this unkind, injurious thought, — 
That he's un\^illii^ to forgive. 

566. 

Long Metre. CowpJir* 
God love. 

1 T Tt THEN darkness long has veil'd my 

V V mind, 
And smiling day once more appears; 
Thtn, my Creator! then I find 
The folly of my doubts and fears.' 

2 Straight I upbraid my wandVing heart, 
And blush that I should ever be 
Thus prone to act so base a part, 

Or harbour one hard thought of thee. 



478 



Domestic and 



3 d! let me then at length be taught 
What I am still so slow to learn — 
That God is love, and changes not, 
Nor knows the shadow of a turn. 

4 Sweet truth, and easy to repeat! 
But when my faith is sharply tryM^ 
I find myself a learner yet, 
Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide. 

5 But, O my God! one look from thee 
Subdues the disobedient will, 
Drives doubt and discontent away, 
And thy rebellious worm is still. 

567. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
The presence of God in afUctioUj^ 

1 TN vain, while d'aiiifewflfeition spreads 
X Her melancholy gloom. 

Kind providence its blessings sheds, 
And nature's beauties bloom. 

2 For all that charms the tft&*e-er sight 

My heart no wish respires; 
O for a beam of heavenly light, 
When earthly hope expires! 

3 Thou 4Maiy centre of my rest! 

Look down with pitying eye. 
While, with protracted pain opprest, 
I breathe the plaintive sigh. 

4 Thy graciQuo presence, O my God! 

My ev'ry wish contains: 



Private Worship. 



479 



With this, beneath affliction's load, 
My heart no more complains. 

This can my carq^control, 
Gild each dark scene with light; 

This is the sunshine of the soul, 
Without it all is night. 

568. 

Common Metre. Cotton. 
God the refuge of the afflicted* 

AFFLICTION is a stormy deep, 
Where wave resounds to wave; 
Tho' o'er my head the billows roll, 
I know the Lord can save. 

Perhaps, before the morning dawn-, 
He will restore my peace; 

For he who bade the tempest roar, 
Can bid the tempest cease. 

In the dark watches of the night 
I'll count his mercies o'er; 

I'll praise him for ten thousand pasfj 
And humbly sue for more. 

Here will I rest, here build my hopes, 

Nor murmur at his rod; 
He's more than all the world to me^ 

My health, my life, my God., 



480 



Domestic and 



569. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Imploring divine consolation. 

1 "p ETURN, O God oflove! returij; 
XV Reveal thy wonted grace: 

How long shall we thy children mourn 
Our absence from thy face? 

2 Let heav'n succeed our painful yearsj 

Let sin and sorrow cease; 
And in proportion to our tears. 
So make our joys increase. 

3 Thy wonders to thy servants show, 

Make thy own work complete: 
Then shall our souls thy glory know. 
And own thy love is great. 

4 Then shall we shine before thy throne. 

And see thy glory, Lord! 
And the poor service we have done 
Meet a divine reward. / 

V 

Ik 570. 

Long Metre. Jervis. 

The prospect of sickness and death. 

1 T IC 7HEN all the powVs of nature fail; \ 
V V When sickness shall my heart assail^ 
Shall ev'ry nobler part pervade, 
And ev'ry earthly wish shall fade: 



Private Worship. 



2 When pain, of evVy nerve possest, 
Shall vibrate in my throbbing breast; 
Or languor o'er my senses steal, 
And med'cine lose its pow'r to heal: 

3 When death shall chill the vital heat; 

' When this fond heart shall cease to beat. 
This falt'ring tongue forget to speak, 
A mortal paleness on my cheek:" 

4 When my dim eyes are sunk in death, 
And God who gave shall take my breath; 
May he sustain my fainting heart, 

And comfort to my soul impart. 

5 May his bright presence bring relief 
From fear, despondency and grief; 
His cheering voice direct my way 
To regions of eternal day. 

571. 

Common Mi tre. Burns. 
A pi-ay er in the prospect of death. 

1 THOU unknown, almighty Cause 
KJf Of all my hope and fear! 

In whose dread presence, after death, 
I surely munt appear! 

2 If I have wanderM in those paths 

Of life I ought to shun; 
As somethhig^ loudly in my breast. 
Remonstrates I have done: 
2 S 



482 



Domestic and 



3 Where human weakness has come short, 

Or frailty stepp'd aside, 
Do thou, All-good! for such thou art, 
In shades of darkness hide, 

4 Where with intention I have err'd, 

No other plea I have, 
But thou art good; and goodness still 
Delighteth to forgive. 



Gommon Metre. Enfield's Collection. 

Comfort in sickness and death. 

1 T 7t 7"HEN sickness shakes the languid 

V V frame, 
Each dazzling pleasure flies; 
Phantoms of bliss no more obscure 
Our long-deluded eyes. 

2 Then the tremendous arm of death 

Its hated sceptre shows; 
And nature faints beneath the weight 
Of complicated woes. 

3 The tott'ring frame of mortal life 

Shall crumble into dust; 
Nature shall faint — but learn, my scful! 
On nature's God to trust. 

4 The man, whose pious hearths fix'd 

On his all-gracious God, ' 
In ev'ry frown may comfort find, 
And kiss the ch^rst'ning rod. 



Private Worship. 



485 



5 Nor him shall death itself alarm; 
On heav'n his soul relies; 
With joy he views his Maker's love, 
And with composure dies, 

573. 

Short Metre. Doddridge. 

Support 271 death, 

1 T> EHOLD the gloomy vale, 

Jj Which thou, my soul, must tread, 
Beset with terrors fierce and pale, 
That leads thee to the dead. 

2' Ye pleasing scenes, adieu! 
Which I so long have known: 
My friends, a long farewell to you! 
For I must pass alone, 

3 And thou, beloved clay, 
Long partner of my cares, 

In this rough path art torn away 
With agony and tears. 

4 But see! a ray of light. 
With splendors all divine, 

Breaks thro' these dreary realms of night, 
And makes its horrors shine. 

.5 Where death, where darkness reigns, 
Jehovah is my stay; 
His rod my trembling feet sustains, 
His staff defends my way. 



484 



Dojnestk and 



I 



6 Great Shepherd! lead me on| 
My soul disdains to fear; 
Death's gloomy phantoms all are flown. 
Now life's great Lord is near# 

574. , 

Common Metre. Addison. 
Hope in the divine mercy. 

1 "t yf THEN rising from the bed of death,^ 

V V O'erwhelm'd with guilt and fear, 
I see my Maker face to face; 
O how shall I appear! 

2 If yet, while pardon may be found, 

And mercy may be sought, 
My heart with inward horror shrinks, 
And trembles at the thought: 

3 When thou, O Lord! shalt stand disclosed 

In majesty severe, 
And sit in judgment on my soul; 
O! how shall I appear? 

4 But there's forgiveness, Lord! with thee; 

Thy nature is benign; 
Thy pard'ning mercy I implore, 
For mercv. Lord? is thine. 

5 O let thy boundless mercy shine 

On my benighted soul! 
Correct my passions, mend my heart, 
And all my fears control. 

6 And may I taste thy richer grace, 

In that decisive hour 



Private Worship. 



485 



When Christ to judgment shall descend, 
And time shall be no more. 

575. f 

Common Metre. Watts. 
A psalm for a master of a familyi 

1 justice and of truth I sing, 
And pay my God my vows: 

With truth and justice, heavenly King, 
Teach me to rule my house. 

2 Now to my tent, O God! be near, 

And make thy servant wise; 
And let me suffer nothing there. 
That shall offend thy eyes. 

3 The man who doth his neighbour wrong. 

Or dares oppress the poor; 
The scornful eye, the sland'rous tongue, 
Be distant from my door. 

4 Still may I seek the good and just, 

And still their help enjoy: 
Such be the friends that I shall trust, 
The servants I employ. 

5 While sin in others I reprove. 

Be ev'ry virtue mine; 
And let the wisdom from above 
1 hrough all my conduct shine. 

6 Who shall the most in love abound, 

Our sole contention be; 
So shall my house be ever found 
A dwelling dear to thee. 

2 S 2 



486 



Domestic and 



L 576. 

Proper Metre, Merrick. 
The dwelling's of the righteous. 

1 "\/r ERC Y, judgment, now my tongue 
-LVX Makes the subject of its song: 
Lord! to whom then shall 1 sing, 

But to thee, th' eternal King? 

2 Wisdom shall my footsteps guide, 
Nor permit my feet to slide, 

Or from thy all-perfect way, 
Lost in paths of sin, to stray. 

3 Come, O come, celestial guest! 
Let my roof with thee be blest; 
Let thy beams effulgent play, 
And within my mansion stay. 

4 Lo! my heart, with studious care, 
For thy presence I prepare, 
And my dwelling's full extent 
Spotless to ihy view present. 

5 Ne'er shall my presumptuous hand, 
Dare to break th} just command; 
Ne'er within me shalt thou find 
Aught that speaks a faithless mind. 

6 Come, ye faithful, just, and good, 
Eager for the bright abode — 
Come, ye pure in heart, O come, 
Sure v/ith me to find a home. 



Private Worship. 



487 



577. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

Instructions to the youngs from a review of 
past dispensations of providence* 

1 T ET children hear the mighty deedg^ 
JLj Which God performed of old; 
Which in our younger years we saw, 

And which our fathers told. 

2 He bids us make his glories known, 

His works of pow- r and grace; 
And we'll convey his wonders down 
Through ev'ry rising race. 

3 Our lips shall tell them to our sons, 

And they again to theirs; 
That generations yet unborn 
May teach them to their heirs. 

4 Thus shall they learn, in God alone 

Their hope securely stands; 
That they may ne'er forget his works. 
But practise his commands. 

578. 

Long Metre. Watts. 

Instructions of piety. 

1 HILDREN, in years and knowledge 
young. 

Your parents' hope, your parents' joy! 



488 



Domestic and 



Attend the counsels of my tongue; 
Let pious thoughts your minds employ. 

2 If you desire a length of days, 

And peace to crown your mortal state. 
Restrain your feet from impious ways, 
Your lips from slander and deceit. 

3 To humble souls, and broken hearts, 
God with his grace is ever nigh: 
Pardon and hope his love imparts. 
When men in deep contrition lie. 

579. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The advantages of early religioru 

1 T T APPY is he whose early years 
Xn Receive instruction well; 
Who hates the sinners path, and fears 

The road that leads to hell. 

2 For youth devoted to the Lord, 

Is pleasing in his eyes; 
A flow'r when offerM in the bud 
Is no vain sacrifice. 

3 'Tis easier work if we begin 

To fear the Lord betimes; 
While sinners, who grow old in sin, 
Are harden'd by their crimes. 

4 It saves us from a thousand snares 

To mind religion young; 
With joy it crowns succeeding years, 
And makes our virtue strong. 



Private Worship. 



489 



5 To thee, almighty God! to thee 

Our hearts we novv resign: 
'Twill please us to look back and see 
That our whole lives were thine. 

6 Let the sweet work of pray'r and praise 

Employ our daily breath; 
Thus, we're prepar'd for future days, 
Or fit for early death. 

580. 

Common Metre. Salisbury Collection. 

Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth. 

1 TN the soft season of thy youth, 
X In nature's smiling bloom, 
Ere age arrive, and trembling wait 
Its summons to the tomb: 

I 2 Remember thy Creator, God; 
For him thy pow'rs employ; 
Make him thy fear, thy love, thy hope^ 
Thy confidence, thy joy. 

I 3 He shall defend and guide thy course 
Through life's uncertain sea; 
Till thou art landed on the shore 
Of bless'd eternity. 

4 Then seek the Lord betimes, and choose 
The path of heav'nly truth: 
The earth affords no lovelier sight 
I Than a religious youth. 



490 



Domestic and 



581. 



Common Metre. Logan. 
Heavenly Wisdom. 

1 T TOW happy is the man who hears 
XJL Instruction's warning voice; 
And who celestial wisdom makes 

His early, only choice! 

2 Wisdom has treasures greater far 

Than east or west unfold; 
Aad her rewards more precious are 
Than is the gain of gold. 

^ In her right hand she holds to view 
A length of happy years; 
And in her left, the prize of fame 
And honour bright appears. 

4 She guides the young, with innocence, 

In pleasure's path to tread; 
A crown of glory she bestows 
Upon the hoary head. 

5 According as her labours rise. 

So her rewards increase; 
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, 



Common Metre. Watts. 

The aged Christianas refections and hop 

1 l\/rY God! my everlasting hope! 
-LVA I live upon thy truth: 



And all her paths are peace. 




Private Worship, 



494 



Thy hands have held my childhood up^ 
And strengthen'd all my youth. 

2 My frame was fashion'd bj» thy pow'r. 

And shows thy skill divine; 
And from my mother's painful hour 
I've been entirely thine. 

3 Still has my life new wonders seen. 

In each revolving year: 
Behold, my days that yet remain, 
I trust them to thy care. 

4 Cast me not olF when strength declines^ 

When hoary hairs arise; 
And round me let thy glory shine, 
Whene'er thy servant dies. 

5 Then in the hist'ry of my age, 

When men review^ my days. 
They'll read thy love in ev'ry page. 
In ev'ry line thy praise. 

583. 

Common Metre. Watts. 

The aged christiarCs prayer. 

1 OD of my childhood, and my youth, 
vJ" Th« guide of all my days! 

1 have declar'd thy heav'nly truth. 
And told thy wondrous ways. 

2 Wilt thou forsake my hoary hairs, 

And leave my fainting heart? 
Who shall sustain my sinking years. 
If God, my strength, depart? 



492 



Domestic a7id 



3 Let me thy pow'r and truth proclaim 

To the surviving age; 
And leave a^avour of thy name 
When I shall quit the stage. 

4 The land of silence and of death 

Attends my next remove: 
O! may these poor remains of breath 
Proclaim thy boundless love. 

584. 

Common Metre. Williams's Collection* 

Prayer for support in old age and death. 

1 in TERNAL Sire, enthron'd on high! 
MA Whom hrav'nly hosts adore; 
Who yet to suppliant dust art nigh: 

Thy presence I implore. 

2 O guide me down the steep of age, 

And keep my passions cool; 
Teach me to scan the sacred page, 
And practise ev'ry rule. 

3 My flying years time urges on; 

What's human must decay; 
My friends, my youth's companions gone> 
Can I expect to stay? 

4 Ah! no — then smooth the mortal hour; 

On thee my hope depends; 
Support me with almighty powV, 
While dust to dust descend** 



Private Worship. 



493 



585. 

Common Metre. Logan. 
Trust in providence. 

1 \ LMIGHTY Father of mankind! 
Jljl Do thou my hopes sustain; 
And when the day of trouble comes, 

I shall not trust in vain. 

2 In early years thou wast mv guide. 

And of my youth the friend; 
And, as my days began with th^e, 
With thee my days shall end. 

3 My God! who causedst me to hope 

When life began to beat, 
And, when a stranger in the world, 
Didst guide my wandVing feet: 

4 Thou wilt not cast me off, when age, 

And evil days descend; 
Thou wilt not leave me in despair. 
To mourn my latter end. 

5 I know the pow'r in whom I trust, 

The arm on which I lean; 
He will my Saviour ever be. 
Who has my Saviour been. 

586. 

Common Metre. Cotton. 
Absence from social worship. 
THE abundance of thy house, 



'O 



The rich refreshments there! 
2T 



494 Domestic and 



To live an exile from thy courts, 
Overwhelms me with despair. 

2 In worship when I join'd thy saints^ 

How sweetly pass'd my days! 
Pray'r my divine employment then, 
And all my pleasure praise. 

3 But now I'm lost to ev'ry joy, 

Because detain'd from thee; 
Those golden moments ne'er return, 
Or ne'er return to me. 

4 Yet, O my soul! why thus depressM? 

And whence this anxious fear? 
Let former kindness fix thy trust, 
And check the rising tear. 

5 When darkness and when sorrows rose, 

And press'd on every side, 
Did not the Lord sustain thy steps? 
And was not God thy guide? 

587. 

Long Metre. Merrick. 
Prayer for life. 

1 T^O thee, great God! my knees I bend; 

X To thee my ceaseless pray'rs ascend; 

let my sorrows reach thine ears. 

And mark my sighs, my groans, my tears? 

2 God of my fathers! here, as they, 

1 walk the pilgrim of a day; 

A transient guest, thy works admire,,. 
And instant to my home retire. 



I Private Worship. 495 

I 3 O spare me, Lord! awhile, O spare! 
And nature's ruin'd strength repair. 
Ere, life's short circuit wandered o'er, 
I perish, and ann seen no more. 

588. 

Common Metre. Addison. 
I The traveller's hymn. 

1 T TOW are thy servants blest, O Lord! 
JLJL How sure is their defence! 
Eternal wisdom is their guide, 

Their help omnipotence. 

2 In foreign realms, and lands remote, 

Supported by thy care. 
They pass unhurt thro' burning climes^ 
And breathe in tainted air. 

3 Thy mercy sweetens ev'ry soil, 

Makes every region pleasej 
The hoary frozj^n hills it warms, 
And smooths the boistVous seas. 

4 Tho' by the dreadful tempest toss'd 

High on the broken wave. 
They know thou art not slow to hear, 
Nor impotent to save. 

5 The storm is laid, the winds retire, 

Obedient to thy will; 
The sea, that roars at thy command, 
At thy command is still. 

6 From all my griefs and straits, O Lord! 

Thy mercy sets me free. 



496 



Domestic and 



Whilst in the confidence of pray'r 
My heart takes hold on thee. 

7 In midst of dangers, fears, and death, 

Thy goodness I'll adore; 
And praise thee for thy mercies past, 
And humbly hope for more, 

8 My life, while ihou preserv'st my life, 

Thy sacrifice shall be; 
And O! may death, when death shall come, 
Unite my soul to thee. 

589. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The mariner^s hymn. 

1 OD of the seas! thy thund'ring voice 
vJT Makes all the roaring waves rejoice; 
And one soft word of thy command 

Can sink them silent in the sand* 

2 The scaly tribes amidst the sea, 
To thee, their Lord, a tribute pay; 
The meanest fish that swims the flood, 
Proclaims the mighty powV of God. 

3 How is thy glorious pow'r ador'd 
Amidst the wat'ry nations, Lord! 
Yet the bold men who trace the s^as. 
Shall they refuse their Maker's praise? 

4 When scenes of wonder here they see, 
Then let them raise a song to thee: 
And, while the flood they safely ride, 
Bless the kind hand that smooths the tide. 



Private Worship. 



49r 



590. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
The mariner^s praise for deliverance* 

1 T^70ULD you behold the works of 

yV God, 
His wonders in the world abroad; 
Go with the mariners, and trace 
The unknown regions of the seas. 

2 They leave their native shores behind, 
And seize the favour of the wind; 
Till God command, and tempests rise, 
That heave the ocean to the skies. 

8 When land is far, and death is nigh, 
Lost to all hope, to God they cry: 
His mercy hears their loud address, 
And sends salvation in distress. 

4 He bids the winds their wrath assuage; 
The furious waves forget their rage; 
'Tis calm; and sailors smile to see 
The haven where they wish'd to be. 

5 O may the sons of men record 

The wondrous goodness of the Lord! 
Let them their grateful ofF'rings bring, 
And in the church his glory sing. 

591. 

Long Metre. Merrick. -^-^^ _ 
The orpharCs hymn. , 
1 HEAR me, Lord! on thee I call, 
V>/ And prostrate at thy footstool fall^ 
2T 2 



498 



Domestic and 



Propitious in my cause appear, 
And bow to my request thine ear. 

2 " Seek ye my face with duteous care, 
And frequent to my throne repair:" 
Thus to my heart I hear thee speak; 
Thy face, my heart replies, I seek. 

3 Look down, my only hope! look down; 
Behold me, but without a frown; 
And ne'er to my desiring eye 

Thy presence, heav'nly Lord! deny. 

4 O let me, on thy aid reclin'd. 
Thee still my great salvation find; 
Nor leave me, helpless and forlorn, 
The absence of thy grace to mourn. 

5 When, doomM the orphan's lot to bear, 
No father's kind concern I share. 

Nor o'er me wakes a mother's eye, 
My wants attentive to supply: — 

6 Adopted by thy care, in thee 
The Parent and the Friend I see; 
And, nourish'd by thy fost'ring hand, 
Within thy courts secure I stand. 

592. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
Hymn for morning or everiing. 
1 T TOSANNA with a cheerful sound 
JLX To God's upholding hand! 
Ten thousand snares our path surround. 
And yet secure we stand. 



Private Worship. 



499 



2 How wondrous is that mighty pow'r, 

Which form'd us with a word! 
And ev'ry day, andTevVy hour, 
We lean upon the Lord, 

3 The ev'ning rests our weary head, 

And mercy guards the room; 
We wake, and we admire the bed 
That was not made our tomb. 

4 The rising morn cannot assure 

That we shall end the day; 
For death stands ready at the door, 
To take our lives away. 

5 God is our sun, whose daily light 

Our joy and safety brings; 
Our feeble frame lies safe at night 
Beneath his shady wings. 

593. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
A hymn for morning or evening. 

1 "\/r Y God! how endless is thy love! 
J.Vx Thy gifts are ev'ry evening new; 
And morning mercit-s from above, 
Gently distil like early dew. 

2 Thou spread'st the curtains of the night. 
Great Guardian of my sleeping hours! 
Thy sov'reign word restores the light, 
And quickens all my drowsy powers. 



500 



Domestic and 



5 I yield my pow'rs to thy command; 
To thee I consecrate my days; 
Perpetual blessings from thy hand 
Demand perpetual songs of praise* 

594. 

Common Metre. Gentleman's Magazine. 
Hymn for dally pj'otection. 

1 thee each morning, O my God! 
My waking thoughts attend; 

In thee are founded all my hopes, 
In thee my wishes end. 

2 My soul, in pleasing wonder lost, 

Thy boundless love surveys; 
And, fir'd with grateful zeal, prepares 
A sacrifice of praise. 

3 God leads me thro' the maze of sleep, 

And brings me safe to light; 
And, with the same paternal care, 
Conducts my steps till night. 

4 When ev'ning slumbers press my eyes, 

With his protection blest. 
In peace and safety I commit 
My weary limbs to rest. 

5 My spirit, in his hand secure, 

Fears no approaching ill; 
For, whether waking or asleep, 
Thou, Lord! art with me still. 



Private Worship. 



501 



595. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Rowe. 
©od's goodness renewed every morning and 
evening* 

1 RE AT God! my early vows to thee 
VT With gratitude I'll bring; 

And at the rosy dawn of day 
Thy lofty praises sing. 

2 Thou, round the heavenly arch, dost draw 

A dark and sable veil, 
And all the beauties of the world 
From mortal eyes conceal. 

3 Again the sky with golden beams 

Thy skilful hands adorn, 
And paint, with cheerful splendor gay, 
The fair ascending morn. 

4 And as the gloomy night returns, 

Or smiling day renews. 
Thy constant goodness still my soul 
With benefits pursues. 

5 For this will I my vows to thee 

With evening incense bring; 
And at the rosy dawn of day 
Thy lofty praises sing. 

596. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
A morning hymn. 

1 T ORD of my life! O may thy praise 
X-J Employ my noblest pow'rs, 



502 



Domestic and 



Whose goodness lengthens out my clays, 
And fills the circling hours! 

2 Preserv'd by thy almighty arm, 

I pass the shades of night, 
Serene, and safe from ev'ry harm, 
And see returning light. 

3 While many spent the night in sighs, 

And restless pains and woes; 
In gentle sleep I closM my eyes, 
And undisturbed repose. 

4 When sleep, death's semblance, o'er me 

spread, 
And I unconscious lay^, 
Thy watchful care was round my bed, 
To guard my feeble clay. 

5 O let the same almighty care 

My waking hours attend; 
From ev'ry danger, ev'ry snare, 
My heedless steps defend. 

6 Smile on my minutes as they roll, 

And guide my future days; 
And let thy goodness fill my soul 
With gratitude and praise. 

597. 

Long Metre. Watts. 
A morning hymn, 

1 OD of the morning! at whose voice 
VJ The cheerful sun makes haste to rise, 
And like a giant doth rejoice 
To run his journey through the skies: 



Private Worships 



2 From the fair chambers of the east 
The circuit of his race begins; 
And without weariness or rest, 

Round the whole earth he flies and shines* 

3 Thus, like the sun, may I fulfil 
Th' appointed duties of the day; 
With ready mind and active will, 
March on and keep my heav'nly way* 

4 Lord! thy commands are clear and pure^ 
Enlight'ning our beclouded eyes; 

Thy threat'nings just, thy promise sure; 
Thy gospel makes the simple wise. 

5 Give me thy counsel for my guide, 
And then receive me to thy bliss: 
All my desires and hopes beside. 

Are faint and cold compar'd with this. 

598. 

Common Metre. Heginbotham- 

A morning hymn. ^ 
11 O TILL do the wheels of time revolve^ 
O And bear this life along! 
With thanks 1 end the fleeting days, 
And hail them with a song. 

2 Lord! what is man, when, lost in sleep 

Sense and reflection dies? 
And yet, from this defenceless s.tate 
With new delight I rise. 

3 Great God of Hosts! accept the song: 

I own the wondrous grace: 



504 



Domestic and 



O may the Guardian of my nights 
Delight to bless my days! 

4 'Tis theirs alone such bliss to know, 

Who do their Father's will; 
Resolve, my soul, and, sin subdu'd, 
Defy each mortal ill. 

5 This day shall evVy hour correct 

The follies of the past; 
And such shall all its actions be 
As would adorn the last. 

599. V 

i ^ - Long Metre. Watts. 
An evening hymn* 

1 ^ I ^HUS far the Lord has led me on; 

jL Thus far his pow'r prolongs my days 
And ev'ry ev'ning shall make known 
Some fresh memorial of his grace. 

2 Much of my time has run to waste. 
And I, perhaps, am near my home; 
But he forgives my follies past. 

And strength supplies for days to come. 

3 I lay my body down to sleep; 
Peace is the pillow of my head: 
His ever-watchful eye shall keep 
Its constant guard around my bed. 

4 Faith in his name forbids my fear: 
O may thy presence ne'er depart! 
And in the morning may I bear 
Thy loving kindness on my heart! 



Private Worship. 



505 



5 Thus, when the night of death shall come, 
My flesh shall rest beneath the ground, 
And wait thy voice to burst my tomb, 
With sweet salvation in the sound* 

600. 

Common Metre, Watts. 
An evening" hymn. 

1 T ORD! thou wilt hear me when I pray, 
A-i I am for ever thine: 

I fear before thee all the day, 
Nor would I dare to sin. 

2 And while I rest my weary head, 

From cares and business free, 
'Tis sweet conversing on my bed, 
With my own heart and thee. 

3 I pay this ev'ning sacrifice: 

And when my work is done. 
Great God! my stedfast faith relies 
Upon thy grace alone. 

4 Thus, with my thoughts compos'd to peace, 

I'll give mine eyes to sleep; 
Thy hand in safety keeps my days, 
And will my slumbers keep. 

601. 

Common Metre. Watts. 
An evening hymn. 

1 T ORD! when I count thy mercies o'erj 
■I A They strike me with surprise; 

2U 



506 



Domestic and 



Not all the sands that spread the shore 
To equal numbers rise. 

2 My frame, with fear and wonder, stands 

The product of thy skill; 
And hourly blessings from thy hands, 
Thy thoughts of love reveal. 

3 These, on my heart, by night I keep; 

How kind, how dear to me! 
O may the hour that ends my sleep. 
Still find my thoughts with thee! 

602. 

Common Metre. Mrs. Steele. 
An evening hymn. 

1 nr^HE man of humble, upright heart,' 

X As his peculiar care. 
The Lord himself has set apart, 
And when he calls will hear. 

2 With pious awe your hearts survey, 

And ev'ry sin repent; 
Let true contrition close the day, 
And future guilt prevent. 

3 Your sacrifice the Lord will own, 

If thus you seek his face. 
Thus humbly bow before his throne, 
And trust his pard'ning grace. 



Private Worship* 



607 



603. 

Common Metre. Liverpool Collection. 
An evening hymn. 

1 TNDULGENT God! whose bounteous 
X care 

O'er all thy works is shown, 
O let my grateful pray'r and praise 
Ascend before thy throne! 

2 What mercies has this day bestowM! 

How largely hast thou blest! 
Mv cup with plenty overflowed, 
With cheerfulness my breast. 

3 Now may sweet slumbers close my eyes, 

From pain and sickness free; 
And let my waking thoughts arise 
To meditate on thee. 

4 So bless each future day and night, 

Till life's fond scene is o'er; 
At length, to realms of endless light, 
Enraptur'd let me soar. 

604. 

Common Metre. Gentleman's Magazine* 
An evening hymn. 

1 O EE! tht bright monarch of the day 
k k3 in oc( an dips his bea;v,s; 
f Whik fr«>tn hii> brow a parting ray. 
In milder glory streams. 



508 



Domestic and 



2 The moon, pale empress of the night, 

In sweet succession reignsj 
And finely paints, with silver light, 
The mountains, vales, and plains. 

3 The planets in progression rise. 

And shine from pole to pole; 
Their pleasing course delights our eye 
And charms th' attentive soul. 

4 The starry arch in grandeur glows, 

Thro' all its ample round: 
Great God! thy pow'r no limit knows, 
Thy wisdom knows no bound. 

605. 

Proper Metre. Doddridge. 
An evening hymn. 

1 TNTERVAL of grateful shade, 
X Welcome to my weary head! 
Welcome slumbers to my eyes! 
Tir'd with glaring vanities. 

2 My great Master still allows 
Needful periods of repose: 
By my heav'nly Father blest, 
Thus I give my pow'rs to rest. 

3 Heav'nly Father! gracious name! 
Night and day his love the same! 
Far be each suspicious thought, 
Ev'ry anxious care forgot! 

4 Thou, my ever-bounteous God! 
Crown'st my days with various good: 



Private Worship. 



509 



Thy kind eye.» whi-ch cannot sleep, 
My fenceless hours shall keep. 

5 What if death my sleep invade? 
Should I be of death afraid? 
While encircPd by thine arm, 
Death may strike, but cannot harm. 

6 With thy heav'nly presence blest, 
Death is life, and labour rest: 
Welcome sleep or death to me. 
Still secure,— for still with thee! 

606../ 

Proper Metre, Doddridge. 

3Ieditations m the night aeason* 

1 T"^rHATtho' downy slumbers flee, 

V V Strangers to my couch and me; 
While with God's protection blest. 
Cares and fears ne'er haunt my breast. 

2 While the empress of the night 
Scatters mild her silver light; 
While the vivid planets stray 
Various through their mystic way: 

3 While the stars unnumber'd roll 
Round the ever-constant pole; 
Far above these spangled skies 
All my soul to God shall rise: 

4 'Midst the silence of the night, 

I Mingling with those angels bright, 
i Whose harmonious voices raise 
I Ceaseless love and ceaseless praise: 
i 2U2 



510 Domestic and Private Worship. 

5 'Midst the throng, his gentle ear 
Shall my grateful accents hear: 
From on high will he impart 
Secret comfort to my heart: 

6 Lifting all my thoughts above 
On the wings of faith and love. — 
Blest alternative to me, 

Thus to sleep, or wake, with thee! 



INDEX OF SUBJECTS. 



N. B. The numbers refer to the Hymns. 
A. 

Absence from God lamented, 275. 

social worship, 586. 
Acquiescence^ see Submission, 
Adversity^ praise in, 406. 

trust in, 410. 

consolation in, 166. 

God our portion in, 438. 
Affliction^ the use of, 415, 557. 

the use of and support under, 413, 
414, 558, 568. 

support under implored, 567. 

support and deliverance in, 561. 

patience under, 416. 

trust under, 418. 

submission under, 417, 419, 420. 

hope in, 294, 411, 568. 

present, and future glory, 435. 
Afflicted^ compassion to the, 500. 
Age old, and preparation for death, 443. 
Aged^ hymns for the, 582, 583, 584, 585. 
Anxiety^ worldly, reproved, 384. 
Ascension of Christ, 249. 
As/iirationsy devout, 296, 297. 

after the christian temper, 300. See 
Prayer, 



B. 

Bafitism^ a hymn for, 491. 



512 



Index of Subjects, 



Btautij unfading, 319. See Religion, 
Benevolence^ 366, 367. 

and prudence, 378. See Love, 
AV/Z/of Christ, 215, 216,217, 218, 219. 
Book^ see Scripture, 

C. 

Candour^ 372. 

Charity essential, 360. See -Lot/^. 

children, hymns for, 503, 504. 
Choice^ the wise, 313, 340, 341. 
Christy birth of, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219. 

mission of, 220, 221, 222, 223, 

coming and kingdom of, 224, 225. 

the sun of righteousness, 226, 227, 

the light of the world, 228. 

the star of Jacob, 229. 

light and salvation by, 230, 

salvation by, 231. 

the living stone, 232. 

miracles of, 233. 

the love of, 494. 

example of, 234, 235, 236, 237, 497. 
submission of, to his Father's will, 238. 
influence of his death, 240. 
death and resurrection of, 241. 
resurrection of, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 

247, 248. See Lord's day. 

hope of heaven from, 479, 
ascension of, 249. 

kingdom of, 250, 253, 255. See Gospely 

Jesus^ and Saviour, 
new creation by, 264. 
his second coming, 265, 266, 267. 
Christian temper, aspirations after it, 300. 
zeal and diligenccj 308. 



Index of Subjects. 513 

Christian character, 19, 386. 

charity essential to it, 360. 
virtues, 375. 
race, 401, 403, 403. 
watchfulness, 457, 458. 
prospect of the, 400. 
hope of the, 475. 
inheritance of the, 477, 478. 
farewell, 544. 
Church the, our delight and safety, 8. 

the garden of God, 9. See Worship, 
future peace and glory of, 256, 258. 
Communion with God, 287. 

of saints, 487, 488. 
Communing with our own hearts, 383, 553, 554, 

600, 602. 
Compassion^ 500, 501, 502. 

of God. See Man, 
Condescension oi Godi^ 102, 103, 104, 156. 
Confidence in God, see Trust. 
Confidence, tenderness of, 315. 
a good, 329. 
a good and evil, 330. 
Consolation from God in adversity, 166. 

on the death of friends, 522. 
divine, prayer for, 569. 
Contentment^ 385. 
Country^ the virtuous love of, 369. 
Creation of the world, 66. 

voice of, 68, 69, 70, 464. 

devout contemplation of, 72. 

rejoicing in, 89. 

wisdom of God in, 90. 

the mutability of, 442. See M??:, 

new, by Jesus Christ, 264, 



514 



Index of Subjects. 



Creator^ praise to the, 71. 

Creatures vain, and God all-sufficient, 163, 426. 
Cross and crown, 404, 

of Christ, not ashamed of it, 496. 

D. 

Deat/ij preparation for, 443. 
warnings of, 448. 
reflections on, 449, 451, 452, 513. 
life, and the resurrection, 460, 461; 
victory over, 465, 466. See Christ and 

Savioitr. 
and judgment, 469. 
of kindred improved, 514. 
of a parent, 5 15. 
of a young person, 516. 
of a child, 517. 

of children, comfort for parents, 518. 
of friends, 519, 520. 
and funeral of a christian, 52 1. 
of a minister, 523. 
prospect of, 570, 571. 
comfort in sickness and, 572. 
support in, 373. 
Deliverance^ national, 532, 535. 

and support in affliction, 561. 
public thanks for private. 562,563. 
Desires^ virtuous, 301, 302. See Prayer, 
Desfiair no virtue, 565. 
Devotion^ vain without virtue, 14, 
pleasures of, 284. 
and homage, 17. 
daily, 286.' 

daily and nightly, 22. 
habitual, 285. 
secret, 552. 



Index of Subjects, 



515 



Devotion^in sickness, 555. See Communion^ Gra^ 

titude^ and Worshifi, 
Diligence'^ the near approach of salvation a motive 

to, 456. 
jDomfw/oWjof God, see Goc?. 

E. 

Envy deprecated, 373, 

Eternity o^Go^^ 106, 107, 108, 109, 441. 

Evening^ hymns for, 599. 600, 601, 602, 603, 

604, 605, 606. 
Examfile of Christ, 234,235, 236, 237, 238,497. 

F. 

Faith in the invisible God, 343. 

God's name the encouragement of, 344. 

in the promises of God, 348. 

v^ralking by, 397. 

power of, 398. 

desired, 399. 
Family religion, 545, 546, 547. 
Farewell^ the christian, 544. 
Fathers^ reflections on the state of our, 449. See 

Death, 
Fear^ holy, 315. 
Firey on occasion of, 524. 
Forgiveness, see Pardon, 
Foreknowledge SLud providence of God, 132. 
Fortitude^ christian, 389, 

professed, 390, 391. 
integrity, and hope, 387 See Warfare. 
Friendshifi') pious, 549. 

Funeral hymns, 512, 513, 514, 515, 516, 517, 
518, 519,520, 521, 522, 523. 

G. 

Gendlea thankful for the Gospel, 2, 43» 



516 



Index of Subjects. 



Gentiles^ kingdom of Christ among them, 255. 

See Christy Gos/iel, and Kingdom. 
G/ory of God, 100, 101. See Churchy Jesus, 

future, 435. 
Glorying- in God alone, 351. 
God J his mercy seat surrounded, 15. 

his blessing implored, 20. 

exalted above all praise, 34. 

the proper object of praise, 35. 

the universal sovereign, 36. 

the true extolled, 37, 38, 289. 

the God and Father of Christ praised, 39. 

the Creator, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73. 

all things made for, 88. 

rejoicing in his works, 89. 

his wisdom in his works, 90. 

incomprehensible, 91, 92, 93. 

invisible, 94. 

the unknowQ, 95. 

the one, 96, 100. 

power and majesty of, 97, 98,99. 

glory of, 100, 101, 

condescension of, 102, 103, 104. 

majesty of, 105. 

eternity of, 47, 106. 

eternal and unchangeable, 107, 108,109,442, 
omniscience and omnipresence of, 1 10, 
111, 112. 

knows the ways of the righteous, 1 13. 

holiness of, 1 14. 

goodness of, 115, 116, 117, 118. 

goodness and mercy of, 121, 122, 123. 

the intellectual light, 124. 

the everlasting light of good men, 486. 

mercy and truth of, 46, 125. 

faithfulness of, 126. 



Index of Subjects^ 



5ir 



t?oJ, perfections of, proclaimed, 127, 128. 

perfections and providence of, 74, 75, 129. 
being, omnipresence, and providence of, 
130. 

nature, providence, and grace of, 131. 

fore-knowledge and providence of, 132. 

universal dominion of, 48, 133. 

eternal dominion of, 134, 135, 136, 137. 

no respecter of persons, 138. 

equity of his dispensations, 139. 

our constant benefactor, 170. 

the author of our comforts, deliverances, 
and hopes, 171. 

our preserver, benefactor, and saviour, 172. 

support and counsel from, 289. 

our portion, 290. 

in adversity, 438. 

safety in, 291, 331. 

assurance of his favour desired, 295. 

the life and light of the soul, 436, 437. 

the supreme and righteous Judge, 468, 
470, 471. See Absence^ Afflicted^ Afflic* 
tion^ Communion^ Consolation^ Creatures^ 
Faith^ Glorying^ Goodness^ Gratitude^ 
Hafifiinessj Hearty Hojie^ Kingdom^ Know" 
ledge, Life^ Love^ Man^ Mercy ^ Morning,^ 
JVew Yearns day^ Peace ^ Praise^ ProteC' 
tion^ Providence^ Returning^ Righteousy 
Rodj Shefiherd^ Sincerity ^ Submission^ 
t Trust, 

' Goodness of God, 115, 116, 117, 118, 181. 

peculiar to his people, 119. 
encouragement from experi- 
ence of the, 167. 
and shortness of life, 440. 
Gosfiel^ praise for the, 209. 

2X 



518 



Index of Subjects. 



Gos/ie/, excellency of the, 206, 207, 208. 

blessings of the, 212, 213, 214, 252, 257. 

love of God in the, 259. 

prayer for its spread, 253, 254. 

success of the, 25 K 

invitations, 260, 261, 262, 263. 

conversation becoming the, 386. 

See Christy Kingdom^ and Salvation. 
Government of God, see God. 
self, 380. 

Gratitude^ reasons for, 168, 174, 175, 176, 367. 

professed, 357, 358. 
Gratitude and devotion, 563. 

See Praise^ and Thanksgiving, 
Grave^ peace of the, 452. 
Guidance J heavenly implored, 307. 

H. 

Hapfiinessy seated in the mind, 322. 

religion the way to, 323. 
not complete on earth, 424, 425. 
in God alone, 288, 290, 433. 
of heaven, 480, 481. 
See Gody Peace ^ Religion^ Virtue ^ World, 
Healthy sickness, and recovery, 556. See Gratis 
tude. 

Harvest and seed-time, 86. 

hymn for, 87. 

the joyful, 439. 
Hearty sacrifice of the, 23. 

laid open before God, 312. 
Heaveny the reward of virtuous exertions, 336« 

the hope of, 434, 484. 

aspiring to, 476, 485. 

prospect of, 482, 483, 486. 

the happiness of, 480, 481. 



Index of Subjects. 



519 



Heaven^ the congregation of, 487, 488. 

See Christy Zion, 
Holiness of God, 114. 

Hofie in contemplating the divine perfections, 293. 
in God, 412. 

fortitude, and integrity, 387. 
in affliction, 411, 522. 
of forgiveness, 281, 574. 
of a resurrection, 462, 463, 475. 
of heaven, 434, 479. See Mercy, and Pardon, 
Humility y 381. 

and retirement, 382. 
Hyfiocrisy and sincerity, 13, 92. 

detected and exposed, 472. 

L 

Immortality^ see Heaven, 

Impartiality oi Go^y 138, 139. 

Inconstancy in religion lamented, 269. 

Influence^ divine, 306. 

Innocence^ God the protector of, 1 60. 

Instruction desired, 304, 305. See Knowledge, 

Integrity y fortitude, and hope, 387. 

Intercession for the thoughtless, 374. 

Intolerance deprecated, 371. 

Invitations^ 260, 261, 262, 263. 

J. 

Jacob y the prayer of, 299. 

the star of, 229. 
Jesusylhc glory of the man, 239. 
Joy in the works of God, 89, 135. See Singing. 
Judge y see God, 

Judgment^ the future, 142, 469, 470. 

the divine deprecated, 527. See Christy 
and God, 



520 



Index of Subjects. 



Judgment^ private, the right and duty of, 204* 
Justice and equity, 368. 

K. 

Kingdom and coming of Christ, 224, 225. 

of Christ, successful, 250, 253, 255. 
of God to be first sought, 341. 
See Church.^ Gos/ie'l, and Religion, 
Knowledge^ desire of, 303. 

of God, value of the, 317. See Iru 
St ruction. 



Liberty^ the perfect law of, 198. 
Life^ human, the voyage of, 337. 

the pilgrimage of, 393, 

praise to God, through the changes of, 405. 

and death, praise to God in, 407, 408. 

trust in God through the changes of, 409. 

shortness of, and goodness of God, 440. 

old age, and preparation for death, 443. 

vanity of, 444, 445, 446. 

in the hand of God, 450. 

frailty of, and unchangeableness of truth, 
459. 

death, and the resurrection, 460. 
reviewed, 173, 564. 
Life^ prayer for, 587. See Gratitude ^ Praise^ 

Thanksgivings and Time, 
Lights God the intellectual, 124. 
and deliverance, 187. 
and comfort from scripture, 199. 
of the Gospel, 214. See Christ, 
Lord's day, hymns for the, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 
29, 30, 31, 32. 
employments of the, 33. 



Index of Subjects. 



521 



JLord's day. See Christy and Resurrection. 
Zord's firayer imitated, 298. 

Lord's Supjier^ 33, 492, 493, 494, 495, 496, 497, 

498,499. 
Love of God, better than life^ 16. 

instances of it, 178. 
in the Gospel, 259. 
God is love, 566. 
to God, 356. 
to God and man, 359. 
of Christ, and to him, 494. 
the law of, 361, 362. 
to all mankind, 363, 364, 365. 
of our country, 369. 
See Benevolence^ and Charity, 

M. 

Majesty of God, 101, 102, 105. 
Man^ formed for devotion, 55. 

God the creator of, 67. 

distinguishing goodness of God to, 149, 150. 

compassion of God to, 270, 296, 447. 

his frailty acknowledged, 268. 

mortal, and God eternal, 441. 

not designed for complete happiness on 
earth, 424. 

See Gog?, Hapfiiness^ Life^ Love^ and Praise. 
Mariners^ hymns for, 589, 590. 
Master of a family, hymns for, 575, 576. See 

Family religion. 
Meditation^ see Communing, 
Meekness^ 379. See Prudence. 
Melancholy^ see Hofie^ and Love. 
Mercy and goodness of God, 122, 123. 

of God to the penitent, 278. 
Mercy of God, refuge and strength in the, 292. 
See Affliction^ God^ and Ho/ie. 
2X2 



522 



Index of Subjects. 



Messiah, see Christ. 
Methuselah, age of, 508. 
Miracles, see Christ. 
Mission of Christ, 220, 221, 222, 223. 
Morinng or evening, hymns for, 592, 593, 594, 
595. 

hymns for the, 596, 597, 598. 
Mortality, see Death, Funeral, Life, and Man. 

N. 

J^ameoi God proclaimed to Moses, 121. See God, 
JVations, hymns respecting, 526, 527, 528, 529, 

530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 

538. 

Xature and Scripture, the book of, 188, 189, 190. 

See Creation, 
Ke%t> Year's day, hymns for, 77, 78, 505, 506, 

507, 508, 509, 510, 511. 

O. 

Obedience, christian, 19, 498. 

voluntary, 320. 
Old age, see Jged. 
Omnihresence of God, 1 10, 1 1 2. 
Omniscience of God, 111, 112, 113. 

being, and providence of God, 130. 
Orphan the, a hymn for, 591. 

P. 

Pardon, hope of, 279, 280. 

hope of relief from the, 281. 

upon confession, 283. See Mercy, 
Patience, 4 1 6. See Resignation and Submission, 
Peace, domestic, 548. 

of the church, 256. 



Index of Subjects. 



523 



Peace proclaimed, and the fruit of the lips cre- 
ated, 396. 

and protection from God, 528, 529, 533. 
to the returning penitent, 279. 
virtue the source of, 324. See Coyiscience^ 
Happiness^ JVdtioJis^ and Thanksgiving, 
Pearl of great price, 196, 318. 
Penitence^ 271, 272, 280. 
Penitent^ condescension of God to the, 103. 
mercy to the, 278, 283. 
peace to the, 279. 
hope to the, 281. 
Perfections and providence of God, 74,75, 129, 
of God, hope in the, 293, See God, 
Persecution inconsistent with the spirit of Chris- 
tianity, 371. See Gospel. 
Piety ^ habitual, 550. 

the duties of, 342. 

and beneficence, the blessings of, 50 1 , 502. 
instructions of, 578. See Religion. 
Pleasure^ true, 430. See Religion^ Worlds and 

Worship, 
Power of God, 97, 98, 99. 
Praise^ public, 21, 44, 45. 

to the true God, 35, 36, 37, 38. 

desiring to praise God, 64. 

the harmony of, 76. 

to the God of nature, 54, 71. 

to the God of the seasons, 81, 82. 

to God as the first and the last, 47. 

to the most high God, 48. 

to the God and Father of Christ, 39. 

universal, 49, 53, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 

from all nations, 46. 

from all the righteous, 51, 52, 

everlasting, 65. 



524 



Index of Subjects. 



Fraise^fiho, peculiar duty of man, 55, 63. 
and protection, 50. 
for temporal blessings, 169. 
for recovery from sickness, 562. 
to the divine goodness, 181, 
for the gospel, 209. 
to the God of our salvation, 210. 
for salvation, 186. 

through all the changes of life, 405, 406. 
in life and death, 407. 
through the whole of our existence, 408. 
See Got/, and Thanksgiving, 
Prayer^ the house of, 2. 

the Lord's imitated, 298. 
of Jacob, 299. 

for the spread of the gospel, 254, 499. 

for freedom from error and guilt, 273. 

for virtue, 301, 302. 

for assurance of God's favour, 295. 

for knowledge, 303. 

for instruction, 304, 305. 

for guidance, 307. 

lor aid and support, 306, 308. 

in old age and death, 584* 
See yJsfiiradons, 
Presence of God, assurance of, 162. See God, 
Prosfieriiy and adversity, praise to God in, 406. 

and adversity, trust in God in, 410. 
and joy from the blessing of God,55 1. 
Protection from God, 151, 152, 

from God implored, 282, 316. See 
God. 

Providence of God in the seasons, 79, 80, 81, 82, 
83, 84, 85, 86,87. 
natural and moral, 143, 534. 
universal, 144, 145, 146, 147. 



Index of Subjects^ 



525' 



Providence J the blessings of, 173. 

bounty of improved, 148. 

and fore-knowledge of God, 132. 

mystery and benignity of, 140. 

mystery of unfolded, 141, 142. 

amidst public diseases and dangers, 
157, 158. 

vicissitudes of, 164, 

consolatory views of, 165. 

dependence on, 353, 585. 

submission to, 421. 

and redemption, 177, 179, 180, I825 
183, 184. 

See Gratitude^ Praise^ and Seasons, 
Prudence and benevolence, 378. 

R. 

i?acf, the christian, 401, 402, 403, 
Reasony a divine gift, 203. 

to be used in religion, 204* 
Rejoicings see Joy, 
Religion without superstition, 205. 

the way to happiness, 323. 

comforts of, 327. 
2? e/^^/ow, pleasures of, 325, 326. 

beauty and glory of, 328. 

the one thing needful, 339. 

family, 545, 546, 547. 

early, advantages of, 579, 580, 581. 

inconstancy in, lamented, 269. 

the christian, excellence of, 208, 2 1 1. 

See Beauty^ and Piety. 
Refientance^ see Penitence, 

Resignation^ 422 J 423, See Submission^ and Trust, 
Resolutions^ virtuous, 309, 310. 
Resurrection^ death and the, 460, 461. 



526 



Index of Subjects* 



Resurrection^ hope of the, 462, 463. 

the vegetable creation an emblem 

of the, 464. 
a happy, 467. 
and death of Jesus, 241. 
of Jesus, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246^ 
247, 248. See Lord's day. 
Retirement and humility, 382. 

and meditation, 553, 554. 
Returning to God^ 276. 

desire of, 282, 316. 
Revelation^ see Scripture. 
Reverence^ see Devotion^ God, and Worshifi. 
Rightcousy their ways known to God, 1 13. 

peculiar goodness of God to them, 
119. 

their prayers heard by God, 120, 160. 
their safety, 157, 158, 159, 160, 163, 
331, 337. 

all things work for good to them, 161. 
and wicked, difference between them, 

331, 332, 333. 
character of the, 334. 
excellency of the, 377. 
excellency and happiness of the, 335, 

337, 432. 

excellency and reward of the, 336, 
338. 

God their salvation, 426. 
God their everlasting light, 486. 
their communion in heaven, 487, 488. 
Rody hearing the voice of God's, 277. 

S. 

Sabbathy see Lord's day, 
'S'acrz>?c<', the living, 314. 



Index of Subjects. 



527 



Sacrifice^ oi the heart, 23. See Devotioriy Since- 

rityj and Worshiji, 
Safety mGo^^ 157, 158, 159, 291. See God^ and 

Protection, 
<Sa/i;a^£o72, praise for, 186. 

praise to the God of, 210. 
the christian scheme of, 2 1 1 . 
the near approach of a motive to dili- 
gence, 456. See Christy and Righte- 
ous, 

Saviour^ a crucified, 240. See Christ. 

Scripture and nature, the book of, 188, 189, 190. 

the excellency of, 191, 192, 193, 194, 
205. 

instruction to the young from, 197, 200. 
consolation from, 195, 196. 
light and comfort from, 199. 
light and glory of the world, 201. 
the perfect law of liberty, 198. 
delight in, 202. 
Seasonsy fruitful, acknowledged, 78. See Provi^ 
dence. 

Seed-time and harvest, 86. 

the weeping, 439. 
Self-examination, see Hearty and Sincerity. 
Service^ close of the, 539, 540, 541, 542, 543. 
Shefiherdy the heavenly, 153, 154, 155, 156. 
Sicknessy dexotion in, 555. 

health, and recovery, 556. 
recovery from, 559, 560, 562. 
and death, prospect of, 570. 
^ See Gody ond Life, 

/ii/ confessed, 271, 272. 

freedom from implored, 273, 280. 
See Christian temper, and Virtue. 



528 



Index of Subjects. 



Sincerity and hypocrisy, 13. 

devout profession of, 3 1 1 . 
repentance, and obedience professed^ 
313. 

Singing io the ways of God, 395. See Joy. 
Sinners^ see Wicked. 
Springs 83, 84. 

5w6mmzon, filial, 353, 354, 355, 417, 419,420, 
421. 

of Christ, 237, 238, 239. 

See Affliction. 
Sufferings^ see jiffiiction. 
Sun of righteousness, 226, 227. 
Superstition abjured, 205. 

T. 

Temfitations of the world, 429. See Warfare. 
Thanksgivijig for fruitful seasons, 78, 505. 

public for private deliverances, 562^ 
563. 

for national deliverance, 535. 
for peace, 536, 537, 538. 
See Gratitude^ and Praise^ 
Thunder'Storm^ on occasion of a, 98, 525. 
2»7je,the wisdom of redeeming it, 453. 

lapse of it improved, 454, 455. 

reflections on the waste of it, 511. 

See Deathy and Life. 
Traveller y a hymn for the, 588. 
TVttsrinGocl, 345, 350, 582, 585. 

in God, happiness from, 123. 

in God our Father, 352. 

in the divine power and wisdom, 346. 

in the divine goodness. 347. 

in the promises of God, 348. 

in God under the trials of virtue? 349. 



Index of Subjects. 



529 



Trust m God through the changes of life, 409. 
in God in prosperity and adversity, 410. 
in God in affliction, 418< 
See Afflictions Faith^ Gody and Providence. 
Truth oi God, 126. 

of God unchangeable, and life frail, 459. 
and mercy of God, 125. 

U. 

Unity s christian, 373. See Friendshifi^ God^ and 
Peace, 

V. 

Vanity of earthly desires, 427. 

of human life, 444, 445, 446. 

See Creatures. 
Virtue desired, 301, 302. 

the source of peace, 324. 

progressive, 32 1. 

exemplary, 388 See Beauty^ Hafifiinesh^ 
Rtligiony and Resolutions, 
Virtuesiy personal, 376. 
christian, 375. 

W. 

Wary the iniquity of, 530. 

prayer in time of, 531. 
Warfare^ the christian, 392, 

the spiritual, assistance and victory in^ 

185. 
See Fortitude, 
Watchfulness^ 457, 458. 
fT/cArec/, prosperity of the, 141. 

and righteous, difference between them^ 
331, 332, 333. 

2Y 



530 



Index of Subjects. 



Wisdom of God in his works, 90. See God^ In^ 

struction^ Knowledge^ and Religion, 
Works of God, see Creation. 

creation of the, 66. 

its temptations, 429. 

its transitory nature, 473. 

its enjoyments uncertain, 431. 

its pleasures dangerous, 428. 

its desires vain, 427. 

its joys surrendered, 310. 

its treasures surrendered, 318. 

its end, 474. 
Worshifi^ public, privilege of, 1, 8. 

delight in, 3. 

delight in, and advantage of, 4. 
attendance on, 5, 6, 7. 
opening a new place of, 489, 

490. 

absence froir, lamented, 586. 
acceptable, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23. 
humble, 18, 42. 
christian, 19. 

reverential, 40, 41, 42, 43. 
See Church, God^ diud Praise, 

Y. 

Year J crowned with goodness, 77, 85. 

See JSTew Year's day. 
Young, instruction to them from scripture, 197. 

from past dispensa- 
tions of Providence, 
577. 

hymns for them, 578, 579, 580, 581. 



Index of Subjects. 



531 



Z. 

Zeal and diligence desired, 308. 

the want of, lamented, 274. 

tempered by charity, S70. 
Ziorty ancient, 1. 

inquiring the way to, 5. 
the high-way to, 394, 



TABLE 



SCRIPTURES 

REFERRED TO IN THE HYMNS. 



* Hymns which have this mark prefixed to them, are 
founded on two or more passages of Scripture. 





Hymn 




Hymn 


Gen. i. 


66 


Ps* ix. 7—10. 


345 


V. 27. 


508 


10. 


344 


xviii. 19. 


545 


x. 


160 


xxviii 20—22. 


299 


XV. 


334 


Excd. xxxiv. 6—8. 


121 


xvi. 4— 


289 


Dent. viii. 2. 


*59Q 


Y H. 


462 


Tosh IT 12 


507 


3 10. 


463 


xxiv. 15. 


000 


wii 1/1 15. 


475 


1 Sam. vii. 12. 


509 


xix. 


70 


XXX, 6. 


293 




188 


Job L21 


421 




189 


iii. 17—19. 


452 




190 


V. 6. 


161 




206 


vii. 8. 


450 




207 


xvi. 22. 


451 


— 5—8. 


*597 


xix. 25—27. 


465 


— 12—14, 


273 


xxvi. 


93 


xxiii. 


153 


Ps. i. 


332 




154 




333 




155 


ii. 


*250 


— 4. 


573 


iii. 5. 


*599 




*162 


iv. 4. 


383 


xxiv. 7, &c. 


249 


— 3, 4, 5. 


602 


XXV. 9, &c. 


301 


— 3, 4, 5, 8. 


690 


xxvii. 1 — 6. 


8 


— 8. 


♦599 


— 7—11. 


591 


Wii. 


149 


xxix. 


98 




150 




99 



Table of Scriptures^ £s?c. 533 



Hymn 

Ps.xxx. 556 

XX xi. 172 

— 19. 119 
xxxfi. 283 

xxxiii. 89 

— 12,&c. 163 
~ 13, &c. 138 

xxxiv. 167 

— 8, 9. 116 
11. -14; and 18. 578 

xxxvi. 5 -9 129 

— -5, 7, liiid 10- 159 
XXX vii. 5, 6, & 11. *347 
— 18. 113 

— 23, 24, 29, 37. 338 
xxxviii. 9. *347 
XXX ix. 4 — 7. 444 

— 9, 10, 12, 13. 555 

— 12, 13. 587 
xli. 1—3. 500 
xlii. 1—5. 586 

— 6—8. 568 
xliii. 3—5. 284 
xlvi. 158 

— 528 

— 529 

— *531 

— 533 
xlvii. 43, 49 
xlix. 461 
1. 470 

— 471 

— 472 
li. 271 

— 272 
Iv. 286 
Ivil. 64 
Ix. ^531 
Ixi. 1—6. 291 
Ixiii. 1—6. 16 
Ixv. 82 



Hymn 



Ps. Ixv. 83 

— 85 

— 86 
— 11. 77 
Ixvi. 7. 137 
Ixvii. 526 
Ixviii. 169 
Ixxi. 5—9. 582 

— 6—9, and 19. 583 
Ixxii. 253 

— 255 
Ixxiii. 141 

— 23—28. 290 

— 24 and 25. *597 

— 25. 288 

— 25, 26. 432 
Ixxiv. *143 
Ixxvi. *143 
Ixxviii. 577 
Ixxxiv. 3 

— 4 
Ixxxv. 7—12. 532 

— 9—11. 231 

— 9—12. 220 
Ixxxvi. 8—12. 38 
Ixxxvli. 5. 4S9 
Ixxxix. 126 
— 15—18. 212 

— 47, &c. 460 
xc. 1—6. 441 

— 9. 511 

— 9—12. 443 

— 13, &c. 569 
— 17. 551 
xci. 157 
xcii. x8 

— 12, &c. 9 
xciii. 136 
xciv. 19. 327 
xcv. 40 

— 41 



534 



Table of Scriptures 



Ps. xcvi. 
xcvi. 

— 10—13. 

xcvii. 

xcviii. 

xcix. 
c. 

ci. 

cii. 



--25—28, 
ciii. I — 6. 

— i-r. 

— 14. 

— 19, &c* 
civ. 



cvii. 23, &c. 

— 31. 
cix. 1 — 5. 
ex. 

cxi. 
cxii. 

cxiii. 
cxvi. 

— 8, 9, 

— 12, &c. 
cxvii 

cxviii. 18, 19. 

— 22— 2r. 



Hymn 




Hymn 


36 


9Q 


Of 


— 94^ .97 


30 


49 


CXiX. 


193 






202 


468 




205 


335 




302 


209 




303 


224 




304 


114 




308 


rtlt 




309 


*±D 




313 


575 




315 


Of u 




557 






558 




— 


197 






374 


•AA9 


Qfi 

~~" i7\J» 


192 






194 


17Q 


— 111 


195 


J.OU 




~~" XUn7. 


324 


n't! 


— 176 


282 


J.OO 


T" 


316 


tni 


CXXl. 


151 




.. 


152 


0/ 


CXXll. 


6 


144 




7 






412 






439 


117 


cxxx. 


574 




CXXXI* 


300 




CXXXll. 


1 


on 


CXXXlll. 


548 


Ovl 




549 




CXXXIV, 


22 


lU^ 


CXXXV. 


35 




CXXXVl* 


74 


171 




75 


563 




182 


46 




183 


562 


— 1. 


505 


242 


cxxxviii. 5. 


395 



referred to in the Hymns. 



Ps. cxxxlx. 



— 14—16. 

— 14, 17, 18. 

— 17, 18. 

— 19—24. 

— 23-24. 
cxliii. 8. 
cxliv. 1, 2. 
cxlv. 

— 7, &c. 

— 10-13, 15, 16, 
— 14—17. 
cxlvi. 

— 2. 
cxlvii. 



cxlviii. 



cxlix. 
cl. 

Prov. iii. 13—17. 
xii. 26. 
xxiii. 17. 
Eccles- xii. 1. 
Isa. xi. 6—9. 
xxvii. 8. 
XXXV. 1, 2. 

— 8—10. 
xl. 4. 

6—8. 

— 11. 



Hymn 
110 
111 
112 
67 
601 
173 
lf6 
311 
*13 
*599 
185 
127 
128 
122 
21. 147 
120 
123 
408 
79 
80 
81 
131 
56 
57 
58 
59 
60 
61 
52 
21 
581 
377 
550 
580 
*257 
413 
*257 
394 
230 
459 
*503 



Isa. xl. 15—17. 

— 28. 

— 28—31. 

— 30, 31. 

xii. 10. 

— 18—19. 
xlii. 1. 
xlv. 7. 

lii. 7. 

— 7—10. 
liv. 7, a 

— 13. 
Iv. 1, &c. 

— 4. 

— 10—12. 

— 13. 
Ivi. 4, 5. 
-6, 7. 
Ivii. 15. 

— 19. 
Ix.l. 

— 15—20. 

Jer. iii. 23. 
ix. 23, 24. 

xiii. 16. 
xxviii. 16. 
1. 5. 

Lam. iii. 23. 
E'zek. XX. 37. 

xxxvi. 37. 
Dan. xii. 3. 
Hos. ii. 6, 7. 
vi. 3. 

— 4. 
Amos iv. 11. 
Mic. vi. 6—8. 

— 9. 
Hab. iii. 17, 18. 
Zech. i. 5. 
Mai. i, 12. 



535 

H3^n 
105 
346 
401 
321 

*162 

*257 
228 

•593 
135 

*213 
414 
200 
262 
225 
252 

*257 
51g 
2 
103 
396 
258 
256 
486 
426 
351 
455 
506 
5 

*593 
420 
t55 
336 
276 
317 
269 
524 
11 
277 
438 
449 
494 



536 



Table of Scriptures^ £s?c. 



Mai. iv. 2. 

Matt. iii. 1, &c. 
V.3 
-16. 

— 45. 
vi. 6. 

— 9-^3. 



vii. 12. 

xi. 28—30. 

siii. 16, 17. 

— 46. 

xxi. 37—39. 

xxvi. 42. 
Mark x. 13—16. 

xiii. 37. 
Luke i. 50, 54, 55. 

— 74, 75. 
ii. 10—14. 
iv. 18, 19. 
X. 30—37. 

— 42. 

xii. 35--.3S. 

xiii. 29. 

xiv. 16. 
xxiv. 6. 

John iv. 24. 

— 32. 

vii. 37. 
xii. 32. 

Acts iv. 24, &c. 

viii. 21—24. 









226 


Acts XX. 24. 


391 


227 


xxvi. 22. 


510 


4*221 


R.on). viii. 15. 


320 


477 


xii. 1. 


314 


388 


xiii. 11. 


456 


148 


1 Cor. iii. 21—23. 


478 


552 


vii. 31. 


473 


298 


X. 16, 17. 


495 


341 




492 


584 


xiii. 1— '3. 


360 


368 


XV. 57. 


466 


260 


9 Pnr iv 6 


124 


261 


ir 


411 


♦213 


v. 4. 


485 


318 


7. 


397 


359 


xiii. 11. 


544 


238 


Gal iii 28 


37S 


*503 


Fnh V 15 16 


453 


458 


Philin ii 12—14. 


♦403 


219 


Tit. ii. 10 13. 


386 


535 


WpK ii 10 

XxCU. 11. XV/. 


211 


215 


iv. 9. 


24 


222 


ix. 27. 


469 


361 


xi. 27. 


343 


339 


xii. 1. 


*403 


340 


7. 


419 


457 


9. 


420 


488 


18—24. 


487 


496 


TflmpQ 1. A* 


416 


245 


25. 


198 


*13 




47"! 


498 


ii. 4, 5. 


2 


263 


v. 10, 11. 


4o. 


240 


2 Pet. iii. 11, 12. 


26i. 


*250 


Jude 24, 25. 


m 


312 





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